Vietnamese Chicken Curry with Coconut Milk - Ca Ri Ga
Try this amazing one-pan dinner - Vietnamese Chicken Curry with Coconut Milk (Ca Ri Ga). It’s the perfect balance of savoury flavour, mild heat and a gentle sweetness everyone will love!
Servings 4 People
Calories 657kcal
Cost $10
Ingredients
- 650 g chicken thighs 1.5 lb, boneless, sub with more traditional legs, wings or bone-in for extra flavour
- 1 potato peeled and cut into 8 pieces
- 1 sweet potato 250 g / 8.8 oz, peeled and chopped into chunks
- 1 carrot 125 g / 4.4 oz, peeled and chopped into chunks
- 3 tbsp vegetable oil for frying
- 200 ml coconut milk sub with coconut cream or regular milk for a non-coconut finish
- 3-4 cups water to cover the chicken (amount will vary depending on the depth and width of your pot)
Chicken marinade:
- 1.5 tbsp curry powder use Vietnamese Ca Ri Ni an Do (Madras Curry Powder), S&B Curry Powder!
- 1 tbsp fish sauce
- 1 tsp chicken stock powder sub with onion or celery salt
- 1 tsp sugar
- 2 garlic chopped finely
- 3 cm lemongrass chopped finely
- 1 onion chopped sub with 2 shallots
Optional
- 1 tbsp cornstarch to thicken, mixed with 1 tbsp cold water, sub with flour or tapioca starch
- 1 tbsp chilli oil for heat, sub with chilli powder or flakes
- 1 handful coriander for garnish
- 2 Vietnamese rolls sub French baguettes
- vermicelli rice noodles
- white rice
Instructions
For the Marinade:
- Place your chicken pieces in a small bowl and add the marinade ingredients (curry powder, fish sauce, lemongrass, onion, chicken stock, sugar and garlic). Marinate for at least 30 minutes, up to 8 hours overnight.650 g chicken thighs, 1.5 tbsp curry powder, 1 tbsp fish sauce, 1 tsp chicken stock powder, 1 tsp sugar, 3 cm lemongrass, 1 onion, 2 garlic
For the Curry:
- Heat the vegetable oil in a large frying pan over high heat. Fry the potato, sweet potato and carrot chunks until lightly browned on all sides (around 5 minutes). Note: They don’t have to be cooked all the way through at this stage. This is to “seal” them and help to keep their shape in the curry without turning mushy.1 potato, 1 sweet potato, 3 tbsp vegetable oil, 1 carrot
- Remove the vegetables from the pan, leaving as much of the oil behind as possible.
- Keep the heat on high and add in the marinated chicken. Cook for around 2-3 minutes per side until browned. Pour in the water until the chicken is covered.3-4 cups water
- Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to a simmer for 15 minutes. Add the vegetables in at this point and continue simmering for another 10-15 minutes. Scoop off any foam that forms on top with a slotted spoon.
- Pour in the coconut milk once the vegetables are soft and cooked all the way through. You can serve the curry now if you like it thinner. Optional: If you prefer a thicker soup, add in the cornstarch slurry mix, and stir for a minute until the curry thickens.200 ml coconut milk, 1 tbsp cornstarch
- Optional: Add chilli oil for extra heat and flavour.1 tbsp chilli oil
- Switch off the heat and serve. Garnish with fresh herbs like coriander and serve with crusty Vietnamese or French bread, rice or vermicelli noodles.1 handful coriander, 2 Vietnamese rolls, vermicelli rice noodles, white rice
Video
Notes
- Skip Marinating -Skip the marinating if you need a super quick curry. We’re using chicken thighs, so even sitting for a few minutes in the marinade while you fry the vegetables will make ALL the difference.
- Chicken - If you’ve marinated the chicken in the fridge overnight, bring it up to room temperature before frying (around 20 minutes). This will help it cook through evenly.
- Spices - Be careful not to burn the spices when frying the chicken as this can make the curry taste bitter.
- Protein - Swap the chicken for diced pork, tofu or seafood. Remember to adjust your cooking time accordingly.
- Curry Seasoning - Use Japanese curry roux for an extra thick curry sauce.
- Optional Garnishes - Top your finished curry with a handful of fresh coriander / cilantro leaves, or sprinkle with fried shallots.
- Add Heat - Infuse your marinate with finely chopped fresh chilli or chilli flakes.
- Add Veggies - Around 5-10 mins before you’ve finished cooking, add a handful of green beans, spinach, bok choy, gai lan or capsicum / bell pepper.
- Add Even More Flavour - Add a handful of finely sliced kaffir / makrut lime leaves or a whole bay leaf or two in with the marinade, and make sure to marinate the chicken overnight.
Nutrition
Calories: 657kcal | Carbohydrates: 34g | Protein: 32g | Fat: 45g | Saturated Fat: 23g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 6g | Monounsaturated Fat: 12g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 159mg | Sodium: 670mg | Potassium: 1131mg | Fiber: 6g | Sugar: 7g | Vitamin A: 14239IU | Vitamin C: 18mg | Calcium: 82mg | Iron: 4mg