Slow cooker Cambodian Samlor kari (Coconut chicken curry with lime and chilli paste)

Samlor kari is Khmer red curry in Cambodia which is made of chicken, beef or fish. It’s often cooked with sweet potatoes, julienned onion, snake beans, bamboo shoot, eggplant, potatoes, fresh coconut milk, lemongrass and kroeung. The soup is usually served as a dipping sauce for bread. In special events like weddings and other anniversaries, samlor kari is eaten with samlor machu and this combination is called nom banh chok samlor curry. 

 I made it with potatoes, chicken, coconut milk and eggplant. If you want you can add the other vegetable mentioned above.

Ingredients
6 stalks lemongrass or 2 tsp lemon zest
2 small wedges wild lime, mostly peel, or  chunks of regular lime, minced (about 1 teaspoon)
½ teaspoon ground turmeric
Several pinches of salt
3 tablespoons minced galangal or minced fresh ginger route
 4 to 5 regular shallots, coarsely chopped (about 1 cup)
10 medium to large cloves garlic, coarsely chopped
4 Thai dried red chilies soaked in warm water until softened. 
2 tablespoons shrimp paste
2 lbs boneless chicken or can also use chicken with bone, but I prefer boneless
3 tablespoons vegetable oil
2 potatoes peeled and cut in half
2 Asian eggplants, unpeeled, cut into rough 1-inch chunks
1 can coconut milk
2 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon sugar

Directions:
Cut the tough root ends and dry upper stalks off the lemongrass; peel off the tough outer layers and discard. Very thinly slice the remaining 2 to 3 inches of each stalk. You should have 1¼ cups (the number of stalks you need will vary greatly depending on their size and freshness). Make a paste of the lemon grass in the blender. If you are using lemon zest just peel the zest sufficient for full 2 tsp. 
Put the shallots, garlic and ginger/galangal in the blender and make a paste.
 Cut open the chilies and remove the seeds and using a blender or processor, add a little Chile-soaking water if necessary to help create a paste. 
Heat a large heavy pot over medium-high heat. Add the oil and when it is hot, stir in the curry paste. Cook, stirring, until brown. Add the chicken pieces and stir for 2 minutes.
Add the chicken with the paste into the slow cooker. Add the potatoes.
Add the coconut milk, the salt, and the sugar. Cook on high for 3 hrs.
Add the eggplants after an hour of cooking.
Garnish it with lime and dried chilies.
Khmer samlas are somewhere between soup and stew, ideal for eating with rice