Stephen Ceideburg
1 Stalk fresh lemon grass or
1 tb Dried
3 1/2 ts Curry powder
Fresh ground black pepper
1 ts Sugar
4 ts Salt
3 lb Chicken, cut up
7 tb Vegetable oil
3 Sweet potatoes or
3 White potatoes, peeled and
-cubed
4 Cloves garlic, chopped
3 Bay leaves
1 lg Onion, cut into wedges,
-separated
2 c Water
1 Carrot, 2-inch slices
2 c Coconut milk
1 c Milk or water *
* If you use canned coconut milk, you must use water.
This is a real Vietnamese curry. Although adapted from the Indian,
which is always made with white potatoes, the Vietnamese version has
the option of using white or sweet potatoes, the latter being greatly
favored by the Vietnamese. The Indian in- fluence is greatest in the
South, where curried dishes are more popular than elsewhere in
Vietnam.
This is usually served with noodles as a party dish. When it is part
of a family meal, it is eaten with rice. Bach serves this to her
children for breakfast, when it is served with French bread--another
influence on the cuisine of Vietnam.
If you are using fresh lemon grass, simply remove the outer leaves and
upper two-thirds of the stalks, then cut the remainder into 2-inch
lengths. If you are, using, it must be soaked in warm water for 2
hours, then drained and chopped fine.
Combine the curry powder, black pepper, sugar, add salt and marinate
the chicken in the mixture for at least 1 hour. Heat the oil and fry
the potatoes over high heat until brown. (It is not necessary to
completely cook potatoes at this point, only to brown them.) When
well browned, remove from the pan and set aside until ready to cook
the curry. Pour off most of the oil from the pan, leaving 2
tablespoons for cooking the chicken.
Heat 2 tablespoons oil over a high flame. Fry the garlic for a few
seconds, then add the bay leaves, onion, and lemon grass; stir
briefly and add the marinated chicken, stirring long enough to sear
the meat slightly. Add the 2 cups of water and carrot, then cover and
bring to a boil. Turn the heat down and simmer for 5 minutes; uncover
and stir, then cook, covered, for another 10 minutes. Remove the
cover and add the prefried potatoes, the coconut milk, and the milk.
Cover again and simmer another 15 minutes. Serve with rice, Rice
Sticks, or Japanese Alimentary Paste Noodles.
From "The Classic Cuisine of Vietnam", Bach Ngo and Gloria Zimmerman,
Barron's, 1979.
