First wash chicken and cut into pieces. Chicken is normally cut into large pieces to allow for longer cooking and for the curry to dry out. Then season with salt and set aside.

Prepare all the spice (rempah) ingredients needed to make this dish.

Cut all the spice ingredients to prepare for blending or pounding into paste.

Place the cut dried and red chillies with some water added in a blender. (Ingredients to be ground {A})

Blend into a coarse paste and set aside.

Place all the cut spices and turmeric piece into a blender with a little water added. (Ingredients to be ground {B})

Blend into a coarse paste.

Also clean & crush another 3 lemongrass ( about 3 inches of the root end) and a piece of galangal (to be fried in the oil). Then set aside. Crushing helps to release the aroma from these ingredients.

Remove the midrib and stalk of turmeric leaf. Roll the long turmeric leaf together and shred finely using a sharp knife. Set aside.

Also, remove the midrib and stalk of young kaffir leaves. Roll together and slice thinly using a sharp knife. Set aside for later use.

To fry, add cooking oil into a heated wok over medium low heat and saute the crushed lemongrass and galangal until fragrant.

Then stir fry with the red chilli & yellow onion paste. Mix the spice together. Continue to saute for 5-10 minutes until aromatic & oil begins to separate & the paste has darken considerably.

At this point, add in the chicken pieces.

Stir fry the chicken with the aromatic spice paste until the skin begins to brown slightly and all the chicken has been well coated with the spice. Then add thick coconut milk.

Followed by the crushed kaffir and turmeric leaves.

Next, add in palm sugar (gula melaka) or sugar. Continue stirring occasionally as you bring the curry to a boil.

Then lower heat to low and leave to simmer UNCOVERED for 30 minutes. Stir constantly to make sure everything is cooked evenly and does not stick to the bottom of the wok.

Meanwhile, prepare kerisik by dry frying freshly grated coconut under medium low heat until it is well toasted and turn brown and aromatic, about 10 minutes.

Then pound the kerisik (toasted coconut) in a mortar as this will help release some of the oils within as well as to intensify the nutty aroma. Then set aside the pounded kerisik to cool before use.

After 30 minutes, add kerisik (toasted coconut) and stir well to incorporate into the chicken rendang gravy.

Then add in the finely shredded kaffir and turmeric leaves.

Lastly, add in salt and adjust taste accordingly.

Continue to cook for another 10 minutes until the chicken is cooked and tender and the gravy is thick and reduced. And we're done!

Dish out onto a serving casserole garnish with finely shred turmeric leaves and kerisik for added flavour. For more details, visit http://www.huangkitchen.com/traditional-malaysian-chicken-rendang/