Cà Ri Gà (Vietnamese One-Pot Chicken Curry)

Name: Cà Ri Gà (Vietnamese One-Pot Chicken Curry)
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 35 min
Total time: 50 min
Yield: 4 servings
Cuisine: Vietnamese
Ingredients: 3 tbsp neutral oil (vegetable or canola); 1 tbsp annatto (achiote) seeds; 1200 g chicken thighs; 1 tsp salt; 1 tsp black pepper; 1 large yellow onion; 3 clove garlic; 3 piece shallots; 2 stalk lemongrass; 1 tbsp fresh turmeric; 1 tbsp tomato paste; 2 tbsp curry powder; 3 medium potatoes; 2 medium carrots; 400 ml coconut milk; 400 ml chicken stock; 2 tbsp fish sauce; 1 tbsp palm sugar; 1 lime; 2 stalk scallions; 10 g cilantro leaves

A fragrant, one-pot Vietnamese chicken curry simmered with coconut milk, lemongrass and potatoes — rich, slightly sweet and perfect for serving with rice or baguette. Everything cooks in a single heavy pan for minimal washing up.

AI image

50 min

start to finish

15 min

hands on

Some skill

difficulty

servings

4 servings

Ingredients

For the annatto oil

3 tbsp neutral oil (vegetable or canola)
1 tbsp annatto (achiote) seedsor 1 tsp smoked paprika as substitute

To finish

2 stalk scallionsthinly sliced
10 g cilantro leavesroughly chopped

Contains fish. Cooking for an allergy? Check the label on every packet you use — brands differ, and we can only tell you what the recipe calls for.

Method

Make annatto oil by combining the oil and annatto seeds in your heavy-bottomed skillet or Dutch oven and heating over medium until the oil turns a deep orange.
Watch closely; seeds color the oil quickly and can burn if left too long.
Strain the oil into a heatproof bowl and discard the seeds, then return the flavored oil to the same pan.
Strain directly into the pan if your pan handle allows safe pouring to save one dish.
Pat the chicken thighs dry and season both sides with 1 tsp salt and 1 tsp black pepper.
Heat the pan with the annatto oil over medium-high and place the chicken skin-side down; sear until the skin is golden-brown and releases easily from the pan.
Do not move the pieces too soon—good browning builds flavor.
Flip the chicken and brown the other side for 2–3 minutes.
Transfer the browned chicken to a plate and leave any rendered fat and oil in the pan.
Add the sliced onion and shallots to the pan and sauté over medium heat until soft and translucent.
Scrape browned bits from the pan as the onions soften for more flavor.
Add the minced garlic, sliced lemongrass, grated turmeric, tomato paste and curry powder and cook, stirring, until fragrant.
Pour in the coconut milk and chicken stock and stir to combine, scraping any browned bits from the bottom of the pan.
Add the potatoes, carrots, fish sauce and palm sugar, then nestle the chicken thighs back into the liquid skin-side up.
Bring the pot to a gentle simmer, cover, and cook until the chicken is cooked through and the potatoes are tender.
If using bone-in thighs, 30 minutes will ensure they are tender; check at 25 minutes and add time if needed.
Uncover and simmer 5–10 minutes more if you want a slightly thicker sauce.
Turn off the heat, stir in the lime juice, taste and adjust seasoning with more fish sauce or a pinch of salt if needed.
Scatter sliced scallions and cilantro over the curry and serve straight from the pot with steamed rice or crusty bread.

Worth knowing

If you don't have annatto seeds, stir 1 tsp smoked paprika into the oil for color and a touch of smoke.
Use bone-in thighs for richer flavor; boneless thighs cook a bit faster—reduce simmer time by 5–7 minutes and check for doneness.
Make ahead: curry often tastes better the next day as flavors meld; gently reheat over low heat and add a splash of stock if it thickens too much.
Leftovers store 3–4 days in the fridge and freeze well for up to 2 months.
For extra brightness, serve lime wedges on the side so diners can add more acidity to taste.

Make it yours

Cooking without dairy, without an oven, for someone who won't touch chilli, or for six instead of four? Have the recipe rewritten around it — quantities, steps and all.

Dairy-freeOne panHigh proteinKid friendlyMeal prep

More Vietnamese cooking

An original Restaurant Pro recipe — our own composition in the idiom of Vietnamese cooking, not any restaurant's recipe. Written to be dairy-free as listed.