Vietnamese Chicken Curry
Cà-ri Gà
Aromatic, gently spiced and built on coconut and lemongrass. The order of blooming the spices matters more than the spice list.
The Method
Follow the sequence — the order is the technique.
- 1
Bloom the aromatics
Warm oil, then bloom the curry powder and lemongrass together until the kitchen changes smell. Cold spices taste only of heat; warmed spices open into aroma.
- 2
Brown the chicken
Add the chicken and coat it in the bloomed paste. A little color here adds depth to the finished curry.
- 3
Build the liquid
Add coconut water to cover, bring to a simmer, and cook gently. Add coconut milk and the vegetables partway through so they don't collapse.
- 4
Season & finish
Balance with fish sauce and a little sugar. The curry should taste aromatic and rounded, not blunt. Finish with lime at the table.
Nga's Note
Vietnamese cà-ri is lighter than its neighbors'. Bloom the spices in oil first — that single step is the difference between a curry that smells like nothing and one that fills the room.
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