Thai Chicken Casserole, "Gai Kaeng"

This is a "Thai-ised" version of a recipe from Delia Smith's cooking course, called Chicken with Whole Spice, which is a mild pastiche on Indian food. This version is set up for a slow-crock cooker, but it could be prepared as a conventional casserole by simmering it on the stove top for about 30 minutes or in an oven at about 180 C for 30 minutes or so.

Ingredients 

4 cups chicken, filleted and cut into bite sized pieces. 

Marinade 

1 tablespoon garlic, crushed 
1 tablespoon fresh root ginger, grated 
1 tablespoon shallots, thinly sliced 
1 tablespoon peanut oil 
a pinch turmeric, salt & pepper to taste. 

Sauce 

1 teaspoon cumin seeds 
1 teaspoon coriander seeds 
1 teaspoon cardamom pods 
1 tablespoon fermented shrimp paste 
1 cup shallots, finely sliced (or use red onions) 
2 tablespoons Thai chile peppers, thinly sliced 
1 cup coconut milk 

Method 

Mix the ingredients of the marinade, and marinade the chicken in a cool place for about 3 hours. Toast the cumin, coriander, and cardamom in a dry heavy skillet or wok until aromatic, and grind to a fine powder. Blend the ingredients of the sauce together. Transfer the chicken and marinade to a wok or sautee pan and stir fry until the chicken just starts to change color. 

Transfer to a slow-crock cooker, and add the sauce, and then simmer, covered on low heat for one to one and a half hours (until the chicken is cooked, tender, and the pieces fall apart at the pressure of a chopstick). 

Serve with Thai jasmine rice.