Mussaman Chicken Curry

I ate out with lovely friends at the Thai River restaurant in Windsor last week, and decided to try a Mussaman (or Massaman, depending on where you look) curry with the left-over chicken from yesterday's roast.  Quite simple really - first make the paste - in a blender put 3 teaspoons of chilli flakes (NOT the 15 dried red chillis the original recipe called for!), a tablespoon of ground coriander, a teaspoon of ground cumin, half a teaspoon of ground cinnamon, 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves and a teaspoon of ground black pepper.  Add a LOT of crushed garlic - a whole head, peeled and crushed, 4 peeled chopped shallots, 1 teaspoon of shrimp paste, 2 stalks of chopped lemongrass, an inch of ginger, peeled and grated, a teaspoon of tamarind paste and a tablespoon of fish sauce.  Add a tablespoon of hot water and blend to a thick paste, then stir in a dessertspoon of soft brown sugar, or palm sugar if you have it.  At this stage, it will smell like old ladies sitting drying by the fire.  Please persist, it gets better.  Heat a tablespoon of oil in a wok and add half the paste (freeze the rest, you only need half), and then around half a pint of hot water.  Chuck in a couple of medium potatoes, peeled and cut into chunks, and allow the spuds to cook in the sauce, as it gradually reduces.  Whilst this is happening, finely chop a couple of tablespoons of unsalted cashew nuts and toast in a dry frying pan.  When the potatoes are done stir in a small can of coconut cream, around 200mls, some shredded cooked chicken and the toasted cashew nuts.  Allow to cook for a few more minutes and stir in some corainder if liked.  Add some salt, it will probably need it, or some more fish sauce.  Enough for 2 with some naan bread and Masala Cabbage (see later recipe).  Man, this was HOT!