Vietnamese Chicken, Sweet Potato And Butternut “Cari”

Yup, it’s “cari” in Vietnam and not “curry”. When I woke up and decided to make this curry, I thought I would be smart and use some Thai yellow curry paste straight out the packet, which is lazy, and cooking is all about exploring new techniques, so I made my own curry powder (they use powder in Vietnam and not pastes, as in Thailand). So, yes, an added step to this recipe – but, it’s that extra effort that takes it one step beyond. My mother always taught me to cook with salt and sugar, but this Vietnamese way of making a caramel with the sugar adds extra depth to the sauce. Sauce in curry is good...

Serves 4 – 6 A LITTLE EFFORT 1 hr

WHAT YOU NEED VIETNAMESE STAR ANISE “CARI” POWDER

10 curry leaves

2 star anise

1 dried red chilli

1 tsp black peppercorns

20g coriander seeds

2 tsp cumin

8 cloves

1 tbsp ground turmeric

1 tsp ground ginger

1 tsp nutmeg, freshly grated

½ tsp ground cinnamon

CARAMEL

3 tbsp white sugar

120ml water

​“CARI”

500g (about 3) sweet potatoes, peeled and chopped into 3cm chunks

1,5kg butternut, chopped into 4cm chunks

2 tbsp olive oil

4 x 150g chicken breasts, cut into

3cm slices

2 tbsp sesame oil

1 large onion, peeled and chopped

2 tsp freshly peeled and finely chopped garlic

2 lemongrass stalks, bashed and tied together

2 tsp dried chilli flakes (optional)

1 x 400ml tin coconut milk

400ml water