Indonesian style chicken curry aka Opor Ayam

Revised: 20091111: Forgot one additional ingredient: boiled eggs

OPOR AYAM
(Indonesian style chicken curry, without curry powder)

1 whole chicken, cut up in pieces
1 pack of the flavor shown, or make our own (see footnote)
6-8 potatoes, skinned and quartered
2 cans of coconut milk
2-3 stalks of lemon grass (the stalk part, cut off the leave top and root, then cut into 2-3 inch pieces)
1 pack of (mung) bean threads (optional)
water, salt and pepper as needed
3-4 tablespoon of olive oil
8-10 eggs (optional)

Boil the eggs for about 10-15 minutes, peel and set aside.
In a stew pot, brown the chicken pieces in olive oil then add the flavor mix, potatoes, salt, pepper and water till the chicken pieces are just covered. Add the boiled eggs, one can of the coconut milk and the lemon grass pieces, bring it to a boil and then simmer for 1-1/2 hour. Add the second can of coconut milk, and simmer an additional 10-15 minutes. If you opted to use the bean threads, add them at the same time you add the additional coconut milk. Serve over steamed rice, in a large soup bowl.

NOTE: If you can't get the flavor mixture where you live, make one yourself: chop half an onion, a few cloves of garlic, half a teaspoon of turmeric, a teaspoon of salt, pepper, and lightly blend.

If you use the Indo Food mix, the instruction says to boil the chicken for a while then add the flavoring. I find this to be silly. You want the chicken to absorb all the good flavors and cook in the mixture, so ignore the packet instruction.