Malaysian Chicken Curry

This seems a bit out of place on this site, but there was a request from Clint in another thread.
Ayam Limau Purut / Malaysian Fragrant Chicken Curry
¼ cup vegetable oil
1 small chicken, cut into serving pieces (cut legs and thighs into 2 pc each, cutting through bone)
Juice of ½ lime
½ cup water
1 can, 15 oz. of unsweetened coconut milk
2-4 kaffir lime leaves, finely sliced; or grated zest of ½ lime
1 stalk lemongrass, bruised and cut in half (or tied in knot)
Pinch of sugar
Salt to taste
Spice Paste:
1 onion
6-12 Thai birdseye chilies or equivalent, seeds removed
¼ tsp cayenne pepper
4 cloves garlic
1.5 inches of galangal*
1 inch fresh ginger
1 tsp turmeric powder, or 1/2 inch turmeric rhizome*

Rough chop the spice paste ingredients, then chop finely in cuisinart. Add a little oil to keep blade turning. Heat oil in Dutch oven or similar pot. Add spice paste with a ½ tsp salt. Fry on medium heat for 5 minutes. Add lemongrass and fry another minute.

Add the chicken and water and cook until chicken is half cooked, about 10 minutes. Add lime leaves or zest and coconut milk. Simmer until chicken is cooked. Add lime juice, sugar, and salt to taste.

*Available frozen in some Asian markets.

This recipe adapted from The Food of Malaysia, published by Periplus Editions. I recommend the Singaporean book in the same series.

Looks tasty. Will have to try it out.

I'm going to have a Thai friend make this before I screw it up! It's a lot more involved than my simple curry recipes have been so far, but I can't wait to try it.

Thanks.

By the way, some versions have a few cloves of garlic added to the spice paste. (Singaporean Ayam Lemak is very similar.) I've heard food in southeast Asia described as a "cacophony of flavors". Sounds accurate to me. Enjoy!