Ingredients:

1. 1 kg/2 lb 3 oz chicken, cut in pieces, washed
2. juice of 4 limes or lemon
3. 4 tomatoes, quartered
4. 10 kaffir lime leaves, finely sliced
5. 4 stems lemon grass, outer leaves discarded, finely chopped
6. 5 scallions or spring onions, in 1 cm long chopped
7. 20 small red chillies / bird chillies
8. 2 tsp sugar
9. 2 tsp salt
10. 250 ml/8 fl.oz water
11. 2 bunch or a handfull of basil leaves

Spice for the paste:

1. 10 shalllots, chopped
2. 7 large red chillies, de-seeded, chopped
3. 5 cloves garlic, chopped
4. 3 cm ginger, peeled

1. Put the chicken in a bowl and mix with lime or lemon juice. Keep aside for 30 minutes.
2. Blend all ingredients for the spice paste in a blender or food processor until smooth.
3. Transfer the paste into a large saucepan or a wok.
4. Add tomato, kaffir lime leaves, lemon grass, spring onion, small red chilli, sugar then pour in the water.
5. Cook with maximum heat until the chicken's colour turn to white.
6. Turn the heat into medium, cover the wok, simmer untill the chicken well cooked.
7. Add in basil leaves, stir and lift. Serve right away.