Coconut Chicken Curry over Pasta

Peel the garlic and crush in a mortar. Transfer to a bowl and whisk in 4 tablespoons of the fish sauce, 2 tablespoons of the lime juice, 1 tablespoon of the sugar and chile powder. Set the sauce aside.

Rinse the chicken breasts, pat dry and cut into bite-size pieces. Trim the lemongrass, cut the bottom white part into thin rings. Rinse the chile, slit lengthwise, remove the seeds and white ribs and very finely chop. Peel and very finely chop the onion and garlic.

Heat the oil in a wok or a large deep skillet and saute the onion and garlic briefly. Stir in the curry paste and 2 tablespoons coconut milk and heat, stirring constantly. Add the chicken and lemongrass and saute 5 minutes. Add the remaining coconut milk, chile and peanuts and cook over a low heat, stirring occasionally for 3 minutes. Season with the remaining fish sauce, lime juice and sugar. Rinse the cucumber, halve lengthwise, remove the seeds with a spoon and slice the cucumber.