Cà Ri Gà

Vietnamese Chicken Curry

Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam— Julia Mattis

This curry has been the center of every family gathering for as long as I can remember. My grandmother would start it in the morning, and by afternoon the whole neighborhood could smell it. She learned it from her mother, who adapted a recipe she encountered when French influence was still heavy in Saigon — that is where the baguette comes in, because Vietnamese chicken curry is best eaten by tearing off bread and soaking it in the broth.

When my family moved, the curry came with us. My mother would source the lemongrass from the one Vietnamese grocery store within driving distance, freezing extra stalks when she found them. Making this dish now, far from where my grandmother lived, feels like an act of translation — approximating something that lives more precisely in memory than in any recipe.

Ingredients

1 whole chicken, cut into pieces 3 stalks lemongrass, bruised and cut 2 shallots, sliced 3 cloves garlic 2 tbsp Vietnamese curry powder 1 can coconut milk 2 sweet potatoes, cubed 2 carrots, sliced Fish sauce, to taste Sugar, to taste Fresh baguette for serving

Method

1) Marinate chicken with curry powder, lemongrass, fish sauce, and sugar for 30 minutes. 2) Heat oil and fry shallots and garlic until fragrant. 3) Add chicken and brown on all sides. 4) Add coconut milk and enough water to cover. Bring to a simmer. 5) Add sweet potatoes and carrots. Cook until tender, about 25 minutes. 6) Adjust seasoning. Serve with torn baguette for dipping.