Vietnamese Chicken Curry

Well, the one pot meals seem to keep coming!  And, clearly, I am addicted to curries.

I cooked this a couple weeks ago, but just got around to posting it today.

This one is an adaptation of a recipe by Ann Le from The Little Saigon Cookbook.  It's really delicious.

Ingredients:

• One stalk of lemongrass cut in 2 inch lengths
• Three tbsp yellow curry powder (Madras, not Indian style)
• 5 large cloves of garlic
• 1 tbsp of sugar
• 2 large shallots
• 2 tbsp of salt
• 1 tbsp of chili paste (less if you want a mild curry)
• 6 tbsp canola oil
• 1 tbsp ground black pepper
• 2-3 lbs. chicken thighs and drumsticks, skin-less, bone-in
• 2 yellow onions, chopped in 8 pieces each
• 1 bay leaf
• 2 cups of water
• 2 cups of coconut milk
• 3 large carrots cut in 1 inch pieces
• 2-3 lbs. of baby red potatoes, peeled and halved
• 1 cup of frozen peas
• cilantro to garnish

Begin by mixing the curry powder, garlic, sugar, shallots, salt, chili paste, black pepper, and one tbsp of the oil till you have a smooth paste.  This works best if you use a blender or food processor.  Again, the "Magic Bullet" comes in handy!  Coat the chicken with the paste and set it aside in the fridge until you need it.  The longer it marinates, the better, of course!  (And don't be afraid to use your hands to get it all over the chicken!)

In a large pot, add the remaining oil and onions and fry over med. heat for a few minutes.  Then add the bay leaf and lemongrass and fry for a few more minutes, stirring things as you go...

Next, turn up the heat a bit, and sear the chicken with the onions and lemongrass.  Make sure the chicken gets a nice brown color all over.  This may take ten to fifteen minutes.  Don't worry if things start sticking to the bottom of the pot.

Add the water, coconut milk, carrots and potatoes.  Get it up to a rolling boil and cook for about five minutes, then reduce the heat so it simmers and cook for another twenty minutes to an hour.  Beware!  The longer you cook, the mushier the carrots and potatoes become.  The potatoes will start to break down and disintegrate.  If you like this, okay!  I prefer firm veggies, so I only cook another twenty five minutes or so, checking the potatoes frequently.  When the potatoes are almost done, add the peas for the last five minutes of cook time.  I let the peas sit out to defrost a bit, so when they go in they cook faster.

Serve over hot rice or with warm, crusty bread.  Garnish with chopped cilantro.  Careful not to choke on the lemongrass or bay leaf!  And yes, it is supposed to be soupy and runny.  This is not a thick curry.