Vietnamese Curry or Cari
Submitted by maestro
A fragrant Vietnamese chicken curry simmered in coconut milk with lemongrass, sweet potatoes, and carrots. Serve over rice or rice noodles for a warming one-pot meal.
YIELD
8 servingsPREP
60 minCOOK
40 minREADY
100 minVietnamese curry (cari ga) is lighter and more aromatic than its Thai or Indian cousins. The sauce is built on curry powder and lemongrass rather than a heavy paste, and coconut milk keeps everything silky without weighing it down.
The chicken gets marinated first in curry powder, black pepper, and sugar, so the spice flavor goes deep into the meat instead of just floating in the broth.
Pre-frying the sweet potatoes gives them a golden crust that holds up during simmering. They soak up that coconut curry broth without turning to mush.
Kitchen Tips
- Marinate the chicken for at least an hour. Overnight in the fridge is even better for deeper flavor.
- Use white sweet potatoes if you can find them. They’re the traditional choice and hold their shape better than orange varieties.
- Don’t skip the lemongrass. Bruise the stalk with the back of a knife before adding it so it releases maximum fragrance.
- Serve with a baguette for sopping up the sauce. French bread with Vietnamese curry is a Saigon street food tradition.
Variations
- Add a tablespoon of red curry paste along with the curry powder for extra heat.
- Swap chicken for bone-in goat or lamb for a richer, more robust version.
- Stir in a handful of fresh Thai basil right before serving for a pop of herbal brightness.
Ingredients
Directions
Combine the curry powder, black pepper, sugar, add salt and marinate the chicken in the mixture for at least 1 hour.
Heat the oil and fry the potatoes over high heat until brown.
(It is not necessary to completely cook potatoes at this point, only to brown them)
When well browned, remove from the pan and set aside until ready to cook the curry.
Pour off most of the oil from the pan, leaving 2 tablespoons for cooking the chicken.
Heat 2 tablespoons oil over a high flame.
Fry the garlic for a few seconds, then add the bay leaves, onion, and lemon grass; stir briefly and add the marinated chicken, stirring long enough to sear the meat slightly.
Add the 2 cups of water and carrot, then cover and bring to a boil.
Turn the heat down and simmer for 5 minutes; uncover and stir, then cook, covered, for another 10 minutes.
Remove the cover and add the prefried potatoes, the coconut milk, and the milk.
Cover again and simmer another 15 minutes.
Serve with rice, Rice Sticks, or Japanese Alimentary Paste Noodles.
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