Chicken curry. Sweet potatoes. Carrots. Potatoes. Coconut milk. Lemongrass. Fish sauce. How can this possibly not be awesome? It’s not quite like Indian curry. Familiar. But different. It’s more like a soup. Thin. Brothy. Perfect for dipping bread. And that’s exactly how you should eat it. With bread. Crazy. But so good. Vietnamese chicken curry is also really good with rice noodles. Leave the root vegetables out. Serve it up in a big soup bowl. Maybe a bit unconventional. But it works. I don’t get why nobody is doing it. Like a Vietnamese version of laksa. I’m calling that one a glebekitchen original. Please tell me if I’m wrong.
Indian technique makes a better Vietnamese chicken curry
There are a lot of cà ri gà recipes out there that tell you to marinate the chicken in curry powder and then fry the chicken. That’s the really hard way. Train wreck waiting to happen. The chicken sticks to the pot. The spices burn. It can go sideways fast. Maybe not every time. But often enough. The easy way is to bloom the spices in oil. There’s a lot of curry powder in Vietnamese chicken curry. And when you put this much spice in a dish you run the risk of a gritty texture. I cannot stand gritty curries. So I always bloom my spices in oil. It’s easy. And it makes a big difference. Blooming is just a fancy way of saying frying spices. Hot oil. Moderate heat. Spices. Stir. That’s it. One thing. You need enough oil. That is critical. If you don’t have enough you might as well fight spice coated chicken like everyone wants you too.
Fry the root vegetables to keep their shape
This is the no-holds barred version of Vietnamese chicken curry. It doesn’t have to be this complicated. But this extra step makes a difference. If you want easy Vietnamese chicken curry skip frying the root vegetables. Brown your chicken in a bit of oil. And follow the rest of the recipe. Probably a good idea to parboil the root vegetables though. Carrots longest, then potatoes and sweet potatoes last. But if you want to go for it fry the root vegetables. Not until they’re done. Just long enough to colour them up. It will shorten cooking times. It will make sure the chicken doesn’t overcook. And fried does taste better. Don’t let anyone tell you otherwise. And as long as you are frying the vegetables you might as well fry the chicken. It’s really no extra work. You’re already set up. Like I said. No holds barred.
Serve good baguette with your Vietnamese chicken curry
I’m going to get into trouble for this. For sure. I like my Vietnamese chicken curry with baguette way more than rice. I am not a fan of rice with this curry. And I eat a lot of rice. Just doesn’t work for me here. Not saying it’s wrong. Just saying it’s not for me. Rice gets lost. I like a spoonful of broth. A bite of chicken. And a bit of bread dripping with sauce. Rinse. Repeat. Lick your bowl clean.
Curry powder matters
This is Vietnamese chicken curry. Not Indian chicken curry. So don’t think that using Indian madras curry powder is going to work here. It is not the same. I have both. I have compared the ingredients. They are not the same. They don’t taste the same. Don’t even look the same. It’s not actually hard to find Vietnamese madras curry powder. Once you know what you’re looking for you will see it in just about every Asian grocer. Look for a package or a container that says ca ri ni or Vietnamese madras curry powder. Or maybe Vietnamese cari powder. Depends on the brand. It’s actually a pretty safe bet that it’s the right stuff if it says madras on it and your Asian grocer doesn’t stock Indian. Make the effort to find it. It matters.
Vietnam meets India meets delicious
This dish mixes up some of my favourite tastes in the world. And it comes out just like you’d expect it to. It’s more Indian than Thai. Closest to Malaysian if I had to pick anything. Doesn’t matter really. It’s just delicious. And what else matters? Vietnamese chicken curry. If you are a curry fan and you like Vietnamese then this is one you should try.
