Thai style chicken

I’m calling it Thai style chicken, though many of the ingredients of Thai yellow curry are missing in this recipe. I didn’t have lemon grass in kitchen. Also I didn’t use shrimp paste. I neither used oyster sauce nor soy sauce nor fish sauce. In fact I din’t keep fish sauce in my pantry. Somehow I cannot stand the smell of fish sauce, though I love Thai food. I think after cooking the it don’t smell so strong. For me it is difficult use fish sauce, as I cannot stand the strong smell.

My Kaffir lime tree is growing profusely, and the beautiful fresh smell of the leaves tempting me to use them in my cooking. Past few day I was feeling strongly to use the leaves in chicken.  So, I ended up 

One pound boneless skinless chicken(I used thigh meat, you can you great meat also)

One medium sized onion

One  medium sized Tomato

One tbsp. ginger paste

Three-four cloves of garlic

One dry red chili (Optional)

Pinch of turmeric powder

Two tsp. coriander powder

One tsp. cumin powder

One tbsp. lime juice

Two kaffir lime leaves 

Salt to taste

One cup whole milk (if you have coconut milk, that will work better)

Oil for frying 

Wash the boneless chicken, and dry with kitchen towel. Cut it into medium sized pieces, mix with salt,and keep aside. Cut the onion and tomato into big chunk. Peel the garlic cloves. In the pan heat one tbsp of oil into medium. Add onion, tomato, garlic into oil. Slightly sauté , and turn off the stove. In a mixer, put all the sautéed ingredients, along with the ginger paste, coriander powder, cumin powder. Make a fine paste. Heat two tbsp. of oil in a heavy bottomed wok into medium. Add the spice paste, stir it well, cover the wok, and let it cook. Cook the spices about 8-10 minutes, stirring occasionally, to avoid scorching on the bottom. When oil starts oozing out from the  spices, add the chicken pieces. Mix well, and let it cook. Do not add water. Cover the wok, and let it cook under low medium heat. Water will ooze out from chicken, and it will cook under its own water. Let it cook about 10-15 minutes. If it starts sticking on the  bottom, scrape it, and add two cups of water, and also the lime juice and salt. Cut the lime leaves into pieces, and add into it. Cover the wok, and let it cook until chicken are fully cooked. Check time to time. If you find chicken is done, then increase the heat to dry up into thick gravy. Lower the heat to low-medium, and add one cup of milk, and cook in low medium heat until desired consistency reaches. After adding milk, do not increase the heat to avoid curdling of milk. 
Serve hot with steaming rice.