Vietnamese Chicken Curry Cà Ri Gà (ca ri = curry, ga = chicken) is a deliciously warm and savoury dish which can be enjoyed with rice, vermicelli noodles or dipped in French baguette. The curry is thin and broth-like and infused with fresh herbs that are Asian-inspired such as lemon grass and lime leaves.
Lets walkthrough this simple step-by-step recipe to make a savoury and warm Vietnamese Chicken Curry!
Why use root vegetables in Vietnamese Chicken Curry?
Typically, carrots and potatoes are used for this dish but I enjoy adding a variety of different root vegetables such as taro and sweet potato. These two add a very nice richness and texture when cooked in to the broth.
Although not required, however highly recommended to fry the root vegetables. Frying the root vegetables gives the veggies a nice golden skin and keeps them from breaking down and thickening the curry. Also, it helps to keep the shape of the vegetables if you decide to eat them as leftovers. This dish definitely is great for the next day’s meal or for the freezer for meal planning.
Coconut milk for this Vietnamese chicken curry
Coconut milk gives the curry the creamy richness texture. Any brand of coconut milk works. I use the Aroy-D brand
Kim Tu Thap ca ri ni powder
The Madras curry powder I use for this recipe is the Kim Tu Thap Brand. The ingredients include curry, turmeric, chilli, coriander, garlic, cumin, ginger, cinnamon, bay leaves, clove, allspice and salt
Vietnamese chicken curry herbs must have herbs and aromatics
- Lemongrass: This fragrant herb can be found in many Asian supermarkets near the herbs section. If you are unable to find the fresh herb, look for the finely minced lemongrass in the frozen section. I highly recommend chopping up the lemon grass into 3 inches in length and cutting down the middle to allow the flavour and fragrance from the lemongrass to infuse into the curry. An added bonus is to use the back of the knife to smash the lemongrass.
- Onion: Roughly chopped.
- Shallot and garlic: Peel and finely chop.
- Lemon/Lime leaves: These can also be found in the Asian supermarket near the herb sections. I personally buy it frozen so I can keep it longer. It’s generally cheaper when purchased frozen.
How to eat Vietnamese chicken curry?
Vietnamese curry is more broth-like and can be served with rice noodles, rice (see: 3 easy steps to cook the perfect rice in a rice cooker) or dipped with a French baguette. All of these options taste amazing with this Vietnamese chicken curry recipe.
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Simple Vietnamese Chicken Curry – Ca Ri Ga
Ingredients
- 3 lbs chicken drumsticks
- 2 tsp salt
- 1½ tbsp sugar
- ½ tsp ground black pepper
- 2 tbsp madras yellow curry powder Adjust accordingly to your taste
Curry Broth
- ¼ cup oil
- 2 tbsp lemongrass finely minced
- 2 stalks lemongrass
- 2 tbsp shallot finely minced
- 7 lemon or lime leaves
- 4 cups water
- 1 can coconut milk 14 oz
- 1 medium carrot cut into small bite size
- 1 large yukon gold potato cut into larger chunks
- 1 large sweet potato cut into larger chunks
- 1 lb taro cut into larger chunks
- 1 small yellow onion roughly sliced
- 1½ tsp salt
- 1½ tbsp fish sauce
Noodles and garnish
- 1 pack vermicelli rice noodles cook as per the instructions
- french baguette optional
- cilantro finely chopped
- green onion finely chopped
- lemon or lime wedges
Instructions
- Marinade the chicken with salt, sugar, ground black pepper and madras yellow curry powder. Allow for it to marinade for 2 hours or overnight.
- Heat a large pan and add 1 tbsp oil. Brown all sides of the root vegetables on medium-high for about 2-3 minutes per side. Depending on the size of your pan you may need to do this step twice. Set aside.
- Add 1 tbsp of oil to the same pan and brown the chicken drumsticks on all sides on medium-high. Roughly 2-3 minutes per side.
- Heat up a large stock pot with 2 tbsp oil. Add the onions and cook until soft, then add the garlic, shallots and lemon grass and cook until lightly brown and the aromatics start to come out.
- Take the browned chicken drumsticks and return them to the pot. Add in the lemon/lime leaves.
- Add the water and turn the heat up to high. Allow the water to boil and turn the heat down to maintain a rolling boil.
- Add the carrots and potatoes first, if you would like to add the sweet potato and taro these can be added after 15 minutes. Cook for 28-30 minutes on medium-low. Or until the vegetables reach desired doneness.
- Add the coconut milk and fish sauce and continue to stir. Turn up the heat to medium-high and cook for 5 minutes. Taste and adjust to your liking with salt and sugar.
- Add vermicelli to the bowl and ladle the chicken curry on top. Cut up the French baguette to dip in the curry broth.
- Garnish with cilantro, green onions and squeeze lemon/lime juice. Enjoy!