During the 19th century, the French controlled two large port cities – Saigon of Vietnam and Pondicherry in India. Raw spice ingredients flowing across these ports introduced Vietnam to a world of spices they its people never seen in its cooking before. Soon, Saigon was bustling with spice markets and “little India” district formed.
After Vietnam gained independence from France in 1954, a significant portion of the Indian population left. However, Indian culinary legacy continues through Vietnamese food today. Vietnamese cuisine is not only influenced by Chinese and French, but also that much of Indian.
While learning about Vietnamese food during our food tour, our customers sometime ask about this interesting Vietnamese Indian food. In this article post, we would like to how you our recipe to cook Vietnamese chicken curry.
INGREDIENTS
- 4 lbs. of chicken legs
- 4 tbsp of cooking oil
- 2 tbsp of shallots
- 2 tbsp of garlic
- 2 stalks of lemongrass
- 2 tbsp of ginger
- 1 tsp of sugar
- 1 tsp of black pepper
- 3 tbsp of fish sauce
- 5 tbsp of red curry paste
- 1 large white onion
- 4 garlic cloves
- 2 red Thai chilis
- 1 (13,5 oz) can of unsweetened coconut milk
- 3 cups of chicken stock
- 7 fresh kaffir lime leaves
- 5 large potatoes
- 5 carrots
STEPS
- Mince garlic, shallots, lemongrass, Thai chilis, and ginger.
- In a large bowl, add 4 lbs. of chicken legs, 2 tbsp of cooking oil, 2 tbsp of shallots, 1 tbsp of garlic, 1 tbsp of lemongrass, 2 tbsp of ginger, 1 tsp of black pepper, 1 tsp of sugar, 1 tbsp of fish sauce, and 2 tbsp of curry paste. Evenly coat the chicken with the pieces. Cover the bowl and refrigerate for 8 hours.
- In a large stew pot, heat 2 tbsp of oil using medium-high heat. Add the chicken legs and lightly brown all sides.
- Dice 1 large onion. Add the diced onions and turn to medium heat. Add the chopped chilies, remaining garlic, and remaining ginger. Cook for 1 minute and then add 3 tbsp of curry paste. Cook for about 2 minutes.
- Add 1 can of coconut milk and 3 cups of chicken stock. Add the remaining lemongrass, 7 kaffir lime leaves, and 2 tbsp of fish sauce.
- Peel and cut the potatoes in cubes. Peel 5 carrots and cut into 2 inches pieces. Add the potatoes and carrots into the pot. Turn to medium-high heat, and stew for 40 minutes. Taste and add fish sauce as desired.
- Serve with steam rice or bead.
There you go. That’s how to cook Vietnamese chicken curry for 4 persons, with about 30 minutes preparation and 1.5 hours cooking. We hope you enjoy cooking this Vietnamese Indian chicken curry at home, and please contact us if there is anything we can help.
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