Vietnamese chicken coconut curry with lemongrass

If your favourite Sunday roast chicken and vegetables got an aromatic curry makeover, this would be it.

Vietnamese chicken coconut curry with lemongrass Credit: One World Kitchen

• serves

  5-6

• prep

  25 minutes

• cook

  45 minutes

• difficulty

  Mid

Ingredients

• 2 stalks lemongrass, trimmed, quartered and bruised
• 2.5 cm piece of ginger, peeled and roughly chopped
• 1 large yellow onion, chopped
• 1 ½ tsp salt, for seasoning
• ½ tsp pepper, for seasoning
• 1.5 kg bone-in chicken drumsticks
• 2 tbsp canola oil
• 2 tsp (10 ml) fish sauce
• 1 tbsp Madras curry paste
• 1 can (14-ounce) unsweetened coconut milk
• 2 ½ tbsp sugar 
• 3 makrut lime leaves
• 450 g sweet potatoes, peeled and chopped
• 450 g white potatoes, peeled and chopped
• lime wedges, to serve
• coriander, to serve
• toasted baguette, to serve

Marinating time: 1 hour

Instructions

1. To make a lemongrass paste, add lemongrass, ginger, and onion to food processor and blend until smooth.
 
2. Season chicken with salt and pepper, then rub 1 tablespoon of the lemongrass paste over the chicken. Cover, and refrigerate for an hour to marinate, or sear immediately.
 
3. To sear the chicken, heat 1 tablespoon canola oil in a saucepan over medium heat and sear chicken on all sides, until nicely browned. 
 
4. Add the remaining lemongrass paste and stir and cook for 2 minutes, until fragrant.
 
5. Add the fish sauce, Madras curry paste and continue stirring and cooking for 1 minute before adding coconut milk, sugar and lime leaves. 
 
6. Add water as needed to cover the chicken.
 
7. Simmer, uncovered, over medium heat for at least 20 minutes. 
 
8. Stir in the potatoes and continue cooking for about 15 minutes, until the potatoes are fork tender, adding water if needed. Garnish with chopped cilantro, and lime wedges. 
   
   
9. Serve with toasted baguette.

Cook's Notes

Oven temperatures are for conventional; if using fan-forced (convection), reduce the temperature by 20˚C. | We use Australian tablespoons and cups: 1 teaspoon equals 5 ml; 1 tablespoon equals 20 ml; 1 cup equals 250 ml. | All herbs are fresh (unless specified) and cups are lightly packed. | All vegetables are medium size and peeled, unless specified. | All eggs are 55-60 g, unless specified.