Vietnamese Style Chicken Curry

Gluten-free | Sugar-free | Dairy-free 

Serves: 4 - 6
Cuisine: Vietnamese
Course: Dinner

The first time I had a Vietnamese Curry was from a little hole-in-the-wall spot in my hometown of Auckland, New Zealand, that has been serving great Vietnamese food for decades. Their curry always comes to the table with the meat falling off the bone and the most flavoursome of broths that encase the rice noodles and large handful of fresh bean sprouts. 

My version is rice-free but still possesses wonderful flavours and comforting nature. You can choose to add root vegetables or not, but I find there is enough substance in the curry without them. All it needs is some fresh shredded cabbage and those wonderful crunchy bean sprouts. 

Hints, Tips & Tricks

You can make this curry with chicken, beef or lamb. The choice is yours! I made mine with skinless chicken drumsticks so that the meat would fall off the bone.

Before you start, you'll need to prepare my Kombu Water. Kombu water is my healthy broth alternative and one of my favourite foundation recipes. If you need the recipe, you can find it here.

This recipe also calls for inulin powder, a soluble fibre derived from plant-based sources. It is prebiotic, making it a fantastic ingredient for our gut health, and it's also a healthy alternative to sugar. You can read more information about inulin powder --> here. Or, if you're wondering where to purchase some, we sell 100% Chicory Inulin Powder for home delivery*! Find out more --> here. 

I use a pressure cooker to make my curry, but you could also use a slow cooker and relax through the recipe throughout the day or overnight while you're sleeping. 

I usually double the recipe and make a big batch to feed the family, using some as meal prep for meals during the week. 

RECIPE

Ingredients

• 1 kg Chicken Drumsticks, skin removed
• 150 ml Kombu Water
• ½ tbsp finely chopped garlic
• ½ tbsp finely grated ginger
• 1 small green apple, peeled and grated
• 3 tbsp mild curry powder
• 1 tbsp cumin powder
• ½ tbsp coriander powder 
• 2 tsp garam masala
• 1 tbsp low sodium tamari
• 2 tbsp Pure as Inulin Powder
• 1 fennel bulb, greens discarded, bulb diced
• 100ml coconut milk
• Himalayan salt and freshly ground black pepper

Serve with:

• 4-6 handfuls salad, made from finely shredded cabbage and kale
• 3 handfuls of bean sprouts
• 6 lemon wedges

Method

1. To make the curry, place the chicken, kombu, garlic, ginger, apple, curry powder, cumin, coriander, garam masala, tamari and inulin into the pressure or slow cooker and mix to combine. If using any of the optional additions, add them as well. 
2. Season with salt and pepper, and turn your appliance on to cook the curry. For pressure cooking, turn it on to medium-high and cook for 55 minutes. For slow cooking, turn it on high and cook for 4-6 hours until the chicken is tender. 
3. Once cooked, drain the liquid from the solids and pour the liquid into a large pot. Place the pot on the cooktop and turn on high to reduce the curry sauce until it is a little thick and the flavour is more concentrated. This may take 10 minutes of hard-boiling. 
4. Pour the liquid back over the curry ingredients and taste for flavour, adding more salt and pepper if you deem necessary. Serve piping hot with your chosen sides.