(*) The quantities in parentheses refer to use of spice powder.
For the massaman curry paste, cut open and seed the dried chiles, then pour boiling hot water over them and soak for 30 minutes. Peel the shallots, garlic cloves and galangal root (or ginger) and cut into rough cubes. Remove the outer (dry) leaves from the lemongrass, chop the root base, then cut the stem into small pieces. Heat the spice seeds and grains in a dry frying pan, and carefully dry roast until smell nice, then cool, then finely crush in a mortar. Now put all the fresh ingredients, soaked chiles and ground spices and shrimp paste in a hand mixer form and prepare into a creamy paste (this also works with a blender). Fill the paste into a screw jar and let it sit for at least 1 hour, in the refrigerator it will keep for at least a month. The paste is enough for at least 4-5 curry dishes like the chicken curry. For the chicken curry, cut the chicken breast into pieces about 2 cm long, fry them in a frying pan with a little oil until they are lightly browned on all sides, then season with salt and pepper, remove from the frying pan on the spot. In the same frying pan, also briefly fry the cashew nuts until golden brown, then remove.
Add a little oil and fry the cashew nuts, which have been cleaned and cut into 2 cm long pieces.