Cà Ri Gà is the Vietnamese version of a chicken curry stew. It’s hearty, incredibly aromatic and the flavors get better over time. The rich Cà Ri Gà can be served with jasmine rice or with rice noodles. However we preferred with toasted baguette!
We have been spoiling you with some serious cake recipes for the last couple of weeks. We hope to have inspired you to make an attempt to impress your family and friends. One thing we have been lacking lately is some good old Vietnamese food.
It should be quite clear by now that Vietnamese cuisine has creativity written all over it. That does not mean throwing anything in the pot, but adding and balancing the right ingredients according to your own taste.
This is not always the case with other cuisines, where measurements are key. While we ask you to follow today’s recipe closely if you aren’t used to making these types of dishes, if you have a bit more experience and practice you’ll have a better understanding of the spices and herbs. Then you can be more adventurous, make it to your own preference, and it will still taste wonderful.
Our recipe for this weekend is the Vietnamese take on chicken curry. You can find tons of different variations out there, and the measurements will always be different. This version comes directly from Ho Chi Minh City, and directly from Hoang’s childhood. This is how his momma makes it.
If you like lemon grass, this is what you need. It can be served with rice or noodles, but we ate our version with baguette.
The name of the dish and its ingredients give away the fact it is a mix of different cultures, from India to Thailand and of course the French colonial history with its baguette. Enjoy this melting pot of flavors with a touch of history.
Ingredients
- Chicken thighs or whole chicken (with/without bones): 2 kg, cut into 3-cm (1.2-inch) chunks
- Curry powder: 3-4 tbsp
- Onion: 1, minced
- Garlic: 5 cloves, minced
- Shallot: 3, minced
- Taros: 8-10
- Sweet potatoes: 4-5
- Coconut milk: 400 ml (13.5 fl oz/1 3/4 cup)
- Condensed milk: 3 tbsp
- Chicken stock: 500 ml (2 cups)
- Lemongrass: 4 sticks, halves and crushed/flattened alongside
- Salt
- Chilli (optional)
- Thick slices of Baguette or rice noodles to serve with the curry
Method
- Marinate the chicken with curry powder, 1 tsp salt for at least 2 hours or over-night in a fridge
- Meanwhile, peel the taros and sweet potatoes, cut into big chunks and soaked them in water
- Bring to boil the chicken stock, 1.2 liter (5 cups) of water and lemongrass in a big soup pan
- Stir-fry the minced garlic, shallots and onion in a non-stick frying pan in high heat till light golden then add in the chicken and continue to stir-fry for about 5-10 mins until firmed then add into the soup pan and simmer in low fire for about 20 mins
- Meanwhile, in the same frying pan, stir-fry in high heat the sweet potatoes and taro chunks (after being taken out of water) for about 5-10 mins then add them into the soup pan
- Add the coconut milk, condensed milk into the soup pan
- Simmer the chicken curry for another 15-20 mins (until the potatos and taros are softened). Adjust to taste with salt and chilli (optional)
- Serve hot with baguette or rice noodles
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