Vietnamese Chicken & Sweet Potato Curry
A mild, fragrant coconut curry of chicken thighs, sweet potato and carrot with lemongrass, curry powder and fish sauce.
makes 24 blocks, about 35p each
- Time
- 55 min20 min prep · 35 min cook
- Makes
- 24 blocks
- Cost per blockPer block
- 35p
- Calories per blockCalories
- 93 kcal
- Spice
Ingredients
- 650gchicken thigh fillets, 3cm pieces
- 350gsweet potato, peeled, 3cm chunks
- 200gcarrots, 2cm chunks
- 1 (150g)onion, cut into wedges
- 2 stalks (30g)lemongrass, bruised and halved
- 4 cloves (20g)garlic, finely chopped
- 1 (10g)red chilli, sliced
- 20g (2 tbsp)mild curry powder
- 1 tin (400ml)coconut milk
- 30mlfish sauce
- 10g (2 tsp)sugar
- 15mlrapeseed oil
- 1 cubechicken stock cube
- 250mlwater
Allergens: Fish. Check the labels on stock cubes, sauces and pastes, as brands vary.
Nutrition
estimated| 1 block | 3 blocks | |
|---|---|---|
| Energy | 93 kcal | 279 kcal |
| Protein | 5.8g | 17.4g |
| Carbs | 6.3g | 18.9g |
| Fat | 5.1g | 15.3g |
| Fibre | 1.1g | 3.3g |
| Salt | 0.56g | 1.68g |
Method
- Step 1: Toss the chicken with half the curry powder, the garlic and 10ml of the fish sauce. (5 min)
- Step 2: Heat the oil in a large pan over a medium heat and fry the onion and lemongrass for 4 minutes, then add the rest of the curry powder and the chilli for 1 minute.
- Step 3: Add the chicken and fry until it is coloured all over. (5 min)
- Step 4: Pour in the coconut milk, water, stock cube, sugar and the rest of the fish sauce, then add the sweet potato and carrots.
- Step 5: Cover and simmer gently for 20 minutes until the vegetables are tender, then uncover and simmer for 5 minutes, crushing a few pieces of sweet potato to thicken the sauce.
- Step 6: Remove the lemongrass, then cool and freeze in 70g blocks.
Hotter: add a second sliced chilli, or 1 tsp chilli flakes with the curry powder.
Serve it
A crusty baguette for dipping · Rice vermicelli with fresh herbs · Jasmine rice
| kcal | protein | carbs | fat | fibre | salt | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Per block | 93 | 5.8g | 6.3g | 5.1g | 1.1g | 0.56g |
| Per 3 blocks | 279 | 17.4g | 18.9g | 15.3g | 3.3g | 1.68g |
Cook’s notes
- Vietnamese curry powder from Asian grocers has more star anise and cinnamon; use it in the same amount if you can find it.
- Light coconut milk makes a thinner, lighter sauce; simmer it uncovered for a few minutes longer.
- Use half sweet potato and half ordinary potato for a less sweet curry.
Serve it
A crusty baguette for dipping · Rice vermicelli with fresh herbs · Jasmine rice.
Freeze, reheat and serve
- Freeze
- Cool it within two hours, portion it into 70g blocks in a silicone tray, then bag and label them. It keeps for 3 months.
- Reheat
- Microwave 3 blocks, covered, for 1 minute, stir, then heat for another 1 to 2 minutes until piping hot all the way through. Or warm them in a pan with a splash of water. Never refreeze thawed blocks.
- A portion
- 3 blocks (210g) make a dinner for one adult: about 279 kcal and 17.4g protein before rice, bread or potatoes.
Vietnamese Chicken & Sweet Potato Curry questions
Why is it served with bread?
In Vietnam this curry is often eaten with a crusty baguette for dipping into the thin coconut sauce, a habit from the French bakeries. Rice vermicelli or steamed rice work just as well.
Why bruise the lemongrass?
Bashing the stalks with a rolling pin splits the fibres so they release their flavour into the coconut milk. Leaving them in big pieces means you can lift them out before freezing, so no woody bits end up in the blocks.
Can I use ordinary potatoes?
Yes, in the same weight. Waxy potatoes hold their shape, while floury ones break up and thicken the sauce more; both may need 5 minutes longer than sweet potato.
Sauces that go with it
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Updated . Nutrition, costs and yields are estimates. Gluten-free assumes gluten-free stock cubes.