Vietnamese Chicken Curry, Cà Ri Gà, is a family favorite. This curry is soothing, comforting, and filling. Dip the curry with a crispy baguette, eat it with vermicelli noodles, or ladle it over a bed of rice. Feeling "curry-ous"? Try this recipe!
This is a heart warming dish from my childhood. I remember coming home from school and there was a silver pot filled to the rim with yellow, turmeric-colored water simmering and crispy baguettes and noodles for us to choose from. My mom has been in the States for 40 or more years but her food is straight outta Vietnam. Even today in her cà ri gà, she only uses "gà đi bộ," an organic walking chicken, and she uses "cốt dừa," the flesh of the coconuts to make fresh coconut milk - no cutting corners. I love it, it is so wonderful. This recipe is from my childhood with a few updates. Instead of using fresh coconut milk, I am using canned coconut milk and I am using a whole organic chicken I broke down. I am a busy mom so on busy days this is how we will "curry on" the tradition!! It takes me about 1 hour from start to finish to whip this up. I buy my baguettes from a Vietnamese grocery store. My kids love dipping Vietnamese baguettes into the curry. During the fall and winter months, Vietnamese chicken curry is a bowl of sunshine.
What is Vietnamese Chicken Curry - Cà Ri Gà?
Cà ri gà, pronounced "kah ree gah," is Vietnamese for chicken curry. Ca ri ga is a dish that came out of the influence of the French in the 19th century and among the many other things, is a part of South Vietnam's culinary fare. During the time they controlled ports in India and Vietnam, they brought Indian workers to Vietnam to work. Indian workers came and Indian spices were brought as well. After the French left, many Indian people left as well, but the spices remained. Vietnamese chicken curry is a beloved dish that has made its mark in many homes throughout Vietnam. Out of all the curries in existence, it's the only curry I know that is eaten with baguettes and I love it! A little bit of Vietnamese history in one bite. (Curry spice is from India and baguettes are French-influenced but tend to be thinner and crispier than their chewier counterparts.)
Jump to:
- What is Vietnamese Chicken Curry - Cà Ri Gà?
- ❤️Why You'll Love This Recipe
- 🥄Equipment and tools
- 🛒Recipe Ingredients
- ↔Substitutions & Variations
- 👩🏫 How to Make Vietnamese Chicken Curry
- Expert Tips
- 🙋♀️Recipes FAQ
- ❄️Storage and reheating instructions
- 💕More Recipes You'll Love
- 📖Recipe
- Authentic Vietnamese Chicken Curry-Cà Ri Gà
❤️Why You'll Love This Recipe
- This recipe is flexible with any cut of chicken.
- This curry dish can use a range of potatoes, yams, and carrots. Cook with your favorite ones.
- This dish does not require any special tools. You probably have a cooking pot, saucepan, knife, and cutting board.
- Once the potatoes are parboiled, the dish comes together quickly.
🥄Equipment and tools
- Pot
- Peeler
- Knife and cutting board
🛒Recipe Ingredients
Ingredient Notes:
- ginger and lemongrass: Ginger and lemongrass are key aromatics for Vietnamese chicken curry. They will be sauteed in hot oil to release a sweet, peppery flavor.
- black cardamon pods: Cardamom pods give a very intoxicating scent when it is heated up. This is optional but it has a wonderful aroma and flavor. This can be substituted with green cardamon pods.
- carrot: Carrots are added as a filler for a curry. Carrots are a favorite and appear in all Vietnamese curries. The carrot's natural sweetness balances out the spiciness of the curry.
- sweet potato: Sweet potatoes are great to use in curry because of their natural sweetness. It is also healthy and when it is cooked it can fall apart making it easier to scoop up with the baguette. This is a personal preference. Russet potatoes are often used and do not fall apart as easily. Note that the flesh of the sweet potato I used is white. It's a Japanese variety sweet potato.
- chicken: Without chicken, there would not be Vietnamese chicken curry. Chicken is the main player here. You can use chicken legs, quarters, thighs, or the whole chicken like this recipe. Use your favorite parts. I used a whole chicken and added a little salt and pepper to mine here. Check my guide on how to break down a whole chicken with scissors!
- taro: Another filler option is taro. Taro has a starchy, nutty texture. If cooked long enough this will also fall apart. Be careful of the cooking temperature. It will thicken the curry.
- curry: We wouldn't have curry without this spice. If you can't find Vietnamese curry, the closest curry other there is madras curry. The curry we use is very mild and has a slight hint of spice.
- coconut milk: Coconut milk adds a luxurious, creamy texture and creates a velvety smooth consistency. It also adds a coconut sweetness that compliments the spiciness of the curry.
- salt: Salt is used to flavor the curry.
- chicken powder: Chicken powder gives a curry the depth of umami flavor.
- sugar: To flavor the curry.
- paprika: For additional spice add paprika to your curry.
See the recipe card below for a full list of ingredients and measurements.
↔Substitutions & Variations
- Can't find baguettes? Substitute with bread from your local grocery store. Try sourdough!
- Instead of parboiling the vegetables you can sauté them in oil to cook them and soften them up.
- Additional seasonings you can add to your curry are fish sauce and MSG. This will give your curry an umami flavor. I don't add fish sauce to my recipe because I want a lot of chicken flavor. If you add fish sauce, take out the salt. I don't use MSG in mine and have chicken broth in this recipe. Adjust the chicken broth.
- Co Co Rico can replace the water added. If you use Co Co Rico adjust the sugar to your liking or don't add it at all.
- Add half-and-half milk for a thicker curry.
- Garnish with cut green onions and cilantro for some freshness.
👩🏫 How to Make Vietnamese Chicken Curry
Step 1: Marinate chicken with curry powder and refrigerate for 15-30 minutes. This can also be left overnight.
Step 2: While the chicken is marinating, this is a great time to gather your starches and peel the exterior skin with a peeler.
Step 3: Then grate the ginger if needed and cut it into big pieces. Do not trim down to small slices because it will get into the curry and you don't want to bite into ginger. This is just used for seasoning.
Step 4: Then cut the lemongrass into small thin slices and set aside.
Step 5: After everything has been cut, we will begin cooking. Starting with the vegetables. In a medium size pot pour in your starches and fill with water to cover the vegetables and set the stove to high. We will par-cook the starches first because they take longer to cook than the chicken. It should take about 5 minutes to soften the starches. When they are about to soften, take off the heat.
Step 6: In a separate pan or pot, add neutral oil. Turn the stove to medium-high and add in the lemongrass and cardamom pods. Use a spoon to saute the lemongrass and pods. You will smell a lemongrass aroma in the air. Do not burn these.
Step 7: As the pan is heating up and the lemongrass and cardamon are cooking add in the chicken. Saute the chicken and let it cook.
Step 8: Add 1 cup of water. (Hot water is preferred)
Step 9: Add boiled vegetables to the curry.
Step 9: Open a can of coconut milk and add to the curry. Then using a spoon mix it into the curry sauce.
Step 10: Season with sugar, salt, chicken powder, and paprika (optional). Adjust to taste.
Step 11: Serve with baguettes, vermicelli, or rice! Enjoy!
Expert Tips
- To prevent the hand from staining yellow wear gloves when mixing the curry into the chicken.
- Don't overflow the curry with vegetables. You want a 50/50 ratio for the perfect combination of meat and vegetables.
- Cook the vegetables first since they take longer to cook than the chicken.
- Dip chicken on a plate with salt, pepper, and lime!
🙋♀️Recipes FAQ
Thai curry has many variations from red curry, yellow curry, green curry, and massaman curry. Vietnamese curries are tumeric-based. Thai curries are eaten with rice or rice vermicelli noodles. Vietnamese curries are eaten with a baguette, rice vermicelli noodles, or rice.
Yes. Both curries use curry spices from India but both have a different flavor profile. Vietn
❄️Storage and reheating instructions
- Refrigerator: Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 7 days.
- Reheating instructions: Microwave for 1 - 2 minutes. Alternatively, reheat on the stove with a pan on medium-high until the curry is bubbly, steaming, and no longer cold, then take off the heat.
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📖Recipe
Authentic Vietnamese Chicken Curry-Cà Ri Gà
Equipment
- 1 medium size pot
- 1 vegetable skin peeler
- 1 knife and cutting board
- 1 big pot or big sauce pan
Ingredients
- 2 lbs chicken ((whole chicken, leg quarters, thighs or a mix))
- 4 tablespoon of Vietnamese curry or madras curry powder.
- 2 whole black or green cardamon pods ((optional))
- 1 can coconut milk
- 1-2 stalks lemongrass
- 1 teaspoon neutral oil
- 1 - 2 whole carrots
- 1 small taro root ((optional) see notes*)
- 1 small sweet potato ((optional) see notes*)
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon sugar
- 1 teaspoon chicken powder
- 1 teaspoon paprika (optional)
- 1 packet vermicelli noodles (optional)
- 2-4 loaves bread (optional)
Instructions
- Marinate chicken with curry powder and refrigerate for 15-30 minutes. If desired you can leave it overnight.
- Prep your vegetables by peeling, cutting and washing them. Then set aside.
- Cut your ginger in thin slices. Do not mince them.**
- Slice lemongrass into thin slices.
- If you have an extra stock of lemongrass tie into a knot and add to pot of water. Boil the water and add vegetables to cook. Parboil the vegetables for 5-10 minutes. Do not go over 10 minutes or they will become too soft. Strain vegetables and set aside.
- Heat up neutral oil in a pot or saucepan. Add lemongrass and cardamon pods. As the pan sizzles up stir the aromatics around, there will be a strong smell in the air.
- When the lemongrass and caradamon pods are lightly colored add the marinated curry chicken to the hot pan/pot.
- Brown chicken on both sides. Cook for about 5 minutes.
- Add 1 cup of water to the sauce pan or pot. The curry will start to disperse into the water. Let is simmer for about 2 minutes.
- Add the boiled vegetables to the pot.
- Add coconut milk to the pot and use a spoon to mix it in. The water will turn a deep yellow.
- Season your curry with salt, sugar, chicken powder. For additional spice add paprika. With a spoon mix in the seasonings into the curry.
- Set stove to medium high and let chicken and vegetables cook for an additional 15-20 minutes. Then put on low and let it simmer until you want to eat it or take it off the heat.
Notes
Nutrition
The provided nutritional information is an estimate per serving. Accuracy is not guaranteed.
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