Cà Ri Gà (Vietnamese Chicken Curry) (2024)

Cà Ri Gà is a bold and vibrant Vietnamese Chicken Curry! With an indulgent creamy broth and fall apart tender drumsticks, it’s the perfect companion for fresh baguettes and rice noodles. You’ll also love how the curry has an added richness using a secret ingredient!

Also make sure to check out Mum’s vegetarian version or enjoy the flavor with fish balls!

A family favorite that we always go back to

When Winter comes around, hearty noodle soups are a must. Mum’s Cà Ri Gà transforms those cold nights into toasty heartfelt memories: warm bread crunch between your fingers, silky noodles slide along chopsticks and a steaming hot broth melts the chills away.

While that may be enough to keep me craving, it’s not what drives me to make it over and over again.

What keeps me coming back for more is the fall apart drumsticks that have been flash fried to seal in their juices, then slow cooked in a thick broth. It’s the slow-cooked vegetables that add a natural sweetness to each mouthful.

And it’s the moment when you dip a piece of crusty baguette into the soup to soak up every last drop. Because when you bite into it, there’s an explosion of earthy aromatic flavor.

This is hands down theonly Vietnamese Chicken Curry recipe you’ll need in your life!

Is Vietnamese curry the same as Thai curry?

There are many similarities between a Cà Ri Gà and the huge variety of Thai curries out there, but here are some of the differences:

• Vietnamese Chicken Curry can be slightly thicker as it uses coconut cream instead of coconut milk.
• You’ll find the sweetness of both styles different because Cà Ri Gà can be sweetened using condensed milk, whereas its Thai counterpart might use palm sugar.
• Vietnamese Chicken Curry is typically just one style but Thai curries can come in yellow, green, massaman and many more.

Both Vietnamese and Thai curries are a delicious way to enjoy a meal with the family, so add this recipe to your to-make list!

Why this recipe works

In our Cà Ri Gà recipe, there are two ways to sweeten the broth without using sugar:

(1) Adding taro. Taro has a natural nutty sweetness that is not only adds flavor, but once it cooks into the curry, the dish becomes incredibly creamy. We do this with many recipes, including Chả Giò (Spring Rolls), Vịt Nấu Chao (Duck and Fermented Bean Curd Hot Pot) and Sago Soup (西米露).

(2) Adding sweet potato. Anything with sweet potato will be guaranteed added sweetness because once cooked, the enzymes will break the starch down into sugar.

(3) Adding sweetened condensed milk. This is Mum’s secret ingredient to a rich and luscious broth. It makes the soup beautifully smooth and gives a depth of flavor that can’t be achieved with just sugar alone.

What you’ll need

For the meat and aromatics

About the protein

To get a classic Cà Ri Gà taste, our family marinade consists of tumeric powder, lemongrass and garlic. You can also include curry powder for more flavor.

This recipe uses duck giblet for a crunchier texture, but you can use the chicken version if that’s what you prefer. Alternatively, skip it altogether.

For the soup

About the sauce

We use the A1 Meat Curry Sauce from our local Asian grocery store, but if you can’t find it then simply add more curry powder. The sauce is sold in individually sealed packets, which also comes in a vegetarian version.

For the noodles and bread

About the toppings

When we eat Vietnamese Chicken Curry, my family likes to serve it with both baguettes and noodles. You can do the same or opt for your preferred one.

How to make this recipe

Cut the lemongrass into 10 cm (4″) segments. Smash the lemongrass and garlic cloves until they’re partially split, then put them in a bowl with the drumsticks and giblets.

Marinate the drumsticks and giblets in tumeric powder.

Heat up a wok on high heat and add the cooking oil. Flash fry the taro until crispy on the outside then set aside.

Note: This will help to develop a crispy crust around the taro which prevents it from breaking up in the curry.

Flash fry the sweet potatoes until crispy on the outside in the same oil, then set aside.

Separate the lemongrass and garlic from the marinated drumsticks and giblets. Reuse the cooking oil (or replace with 3 tbsp new oil) to fry the lemongrass and garlic for 30 seconds.

Pour the drumsticks into the wok and cook for 5 minutes or enough to to sear all sides.

Meanwhile, bring the chicken and pork stock to a boil and add the curry sauce, coconut cream, condensed milk, chicken bouillon powder, salt and curry leaves.

Add the drumsticks, taro, carrots, sweet potatoes and onions in and cook on a medium simmer for 20 minutes.

Optional: While the everything’s cooking, prepare and cook the blood jelly. When ready, add it into the curry pot.

While everything’s cooking, bring a pot of water to a boil and cook the noodles for 10 minutes or until al dente. Drain and let it drip dry.

Serve your Cà Ri Gà with a squeeze of lime juice, fresh Vietnamese baguette and rice noodles!

FAQs

Tips for the best results

• Marinate the drumsticks overnight. For the best infused flavors, coat the meat in marinade and leave it in the fridge. If you’re low on time, 20 minutes will work.
• Let the chicken come to room temperature. Make sure to take the chicken out of the fridge 20 minutes prior to cooking to avoid having tough meat.
• Avoid cooking the sweet potato and taro for too long. The longer they cook in the soup, the softer they become and the more likely they are to break apart.

Fall in love with more noodle soups!

• Bò Kho (Vietnamese Beef Stew) – Another hearty, rich Winter warmer that pairs perfectly with noodles and baguettes.
• Bánh Canh Cua (Crab Tapioca Noodle Soup) – Thick and full of seafood flavor, there’s everything to love about this recipe!
• Bánh Canh Gà (Chicken Tapioca Noodle Soup) – Light and super simple to make, it’s a family weekend favorite!
• Satay Beef Noodle Soup – You’ll win everyone over with this ever-popular spicy and creamy beef noodle soup recipe.
• Hủ Tiếu Nam Vang (Pork and Prawn Clear Noodle Soup) – This is a common breakfast dish for a reason! It’s got a myriad of toppings balanced by a homey broth.
• Bún Mắm (Fermented Fish Noodle Soup) – Robust and earthy, you can’t miss out on what the locals love in this recipe!

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This post was originally published on 27/2/20 and updated with new background information in June 2023.

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