Every country has it's own curry. Japanese curry is a thick, savory gravy that is always comforting to eat. Thai curry usually has the sweet kick from coconut milk. Indian curry isn't so much one specific dish as a style of cooking. And curry powder, which I use to make Vietnamese curry, isn't really a thing in India, since the dishes are all so different. I might be a little biased, but I think Vietnamese chicken curry, or cà ri gà is the best kind of curry there is!
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Vietnamese chicken curry is much thinner than Japanese or Thai curry. It tastes much closer to Japanese curry, but with a subtle sweetness from coconut milk that Thai curry has. There really is nothing better than dipping a toasty piece of bread into the rich broth!
Vietnamese Chicken Curry (Cà Ri Gà): Step-by-step instructions
Cut your chicken into large chunks, about 3 inches. Cut the potatoes and carrots into similarly sized pieces.
I recommend using bone-in chicken for this Vietnamese chicken curry. My mom usually buys a whole chicken, then she cuts it into large chunks. I bought a whole cut up chicken (a chicken that's been divided into two breasts, two thighs, two drumsticks and two wings for you already) and then cut those pieces into chunks, because it's a little easier than butchering a whole chicken. You can use just thighs or just breast if you want, but I recommend sticking to bone in, skin on no matter what you use. The bones will add some heft to the broth, and the skin will release a little fat that will color the broth beautifully.
If you're really averse to whole, bone-in chicken, you can use boneless thigh or breast. I really don't recommend boneless skinless breast thought because it will get really dry. Proceed at your own risk!
Marinate the chicken with fish sauce, shallot, garlic, salt, pepper, chile flakes, ground lemongrass and curry powder. Leave for at least 15 minutes. You can also do this the night before and leave the chicken in the fridge overnight. I use frozen ground lemongrass, but you could buy fresh lemongrass and run it through a food processor.
Vietnamese Curry Powder
The curry powder I use for cà ri gà is one that my family buys from Vietnam. You can find the yellow curry powder at any Asian grocery store. If you can't find one explicitly labeled "Vietnamese Curry Powder" or bột cà ri, you can use a madras curry powder or the S&B Chinese brand of curry powder, which is also available on Amazon.
If your chicken has been refrigerated overnight, take it out and let it come to room temp before searing in a heavy bottomed pot on high heat. Be careful not to overcrowd the pan.
You can also fry the potato and carrot chunks while you're searing the chicken as well. This step is optional, but it prevents the potatoes and carrots from falling apart in the broth and getting mushy. You don't have to cook the vegetables all the way through. Just get a good crust on the outside. Usually I skip this step unless I'm making cà ri gà for guests and I want it to look extra nice.
Add all of your seared chicken back in the pot and cover completely with water. Add a tiny bit of coconut milk in the broth. The rest will be added later
Let it come to a boil before adding the carrots. Once the carrots are almost cooked, add the potatoes. The curry is ready once the potatoes are easily pierced through by a fork. This will take longer if you didn't fry the potatoes and carrots ahead of time, so monitor your vegetables accordingly.
When the potatoes are cooked through, add the rest of the coconut milk. Then turn off the heat.
In a small pan, heat up a few tablespoons of oil. Add more curry powder and chile flakes to the oil and toast on medium low heat until fragrant. Be careful not to burn the spices or else the curry will taste bitter. Pour this oil over the top of the curry to give it color.
Vietnamese chicken curry is best served with a fluffy French or Italian bread. You want something with a nice crust, but is still fluffy and soft on the inside. The best bread to use is a Vietnamese baguette. If you're lucky enough to live by a Vietnamese bakery, snag some for this dish!
