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Cà ri chay
Cà ri chay: southern Vietnamese Buddhist curry of sweet potato, taro, tofu and mushrooms in lemongrass coconut milk
Cà ri chay is served at Buddhist temples and vegetarian restaurants across Saigon and the Mekong Delta, and many families cook it at home on rằm days, the first and fifteenth of the lunar month, when they eat no meat. Sweet potato and taro soften into a golden, lemongrass-scented coconut curry with fried tofu and meaty oyster mushrooms; it is mild and fragrant rather than fiery. Mop it up with a crusty baguette, or ladle it over rice vermicelli. The usual mistake is putting all the vegetables in at once: the sweet potato dissolves before the taro is cooked. Chef's tip: fry the taro and sweet potato briefly before simmering, which seals the outside so the chunks hold their shape in the sauce.
- Total time
- 55 min
- Difficulty
- medium
- Serves
- 4
Ingredients
- 3 tbsp vegetable oil
- 10 ½ oz taropeeled and cut into 3 cm chunks
- 14 oz sweet potatopeeled and cut into 3 cm chunks
- 3 lemongrass stalks2 bruised and tied in a knot, 1 finely chopped
- 3 shallotsfinely chopped
- 3 cloves garlicfinely chopped
- 2 tbsp mild curry powder
- ½ tsp ground turmeric
- 1 carrotcut into chunks
- 2 cups vegetable stock or water
- 1 ¾ cups coconut milk
- 7 oz fried tofu puffs or firm tofucut into bite-sized pieces
- 5 ½ oz oyster mushroomstorn into strips
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 tsp sugar
To serve
- 1 handful Thai basil (optional)
- 1 lime (optional)cut into wedges
- 1 red chilli (optional)sliced
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Method
0/6 doneStep 1: Heat the 3 tbsp vegetable oil in a large pot over a medium-high heat. Fry the 10 ½ oz taro and 14 oz sweet potato for 5 minutes, turning, until lightly golden on the edges. Lift them out onto a plate.
5 minStep 2: Lower the heat to medium. Fry the chopped 3 lemongrass stalks, 3 shallots and 3 cloves garlic for 2 minutes until soft and fragrant, then stir in the 2 tbsp mild curry powder and ½ tsp ground turmeric for 30 seconds without letting them burn.
3 minStep 3: Add the taro, the knotted lemongrass, the 1 carrot and the 2 cups vegetable stock or water. Bring to the boil, cover and simmer for 10 minutes.
12 minStep 4: Add the sweet potato and two-thirds of the 1 cup coconut milk, and simmer for 8 minutes uncovered.
8 minStep 5: Add the 7 oz fried tofu puffs or firm tofu, 5 ½ oz oyster mushrooms, 1 tsp salt and 1 tsp sugar and simmer for 5 minutes more. Everything is done when a knife slides easily into the taro and sweet potato and the mushrooms are soft.
5 minStep 6: Stir in the rest of the ½ cup coconut milk, heat through without boiling, and remove the lemongrass knot. Serve with baguette or rice vermicelli, with 1 handful Thai basil, 1 lime and 1 red chilli on the side.
2 min
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 450 kcal
- Protein
- 12 g
- Carbs
- 50 g
- Fat
- 24 g
- Fibre
- 8 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does cà ri chay take?
- About 55 minutes in total: 20 minutes to prepare and 35 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 4 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- Is it vegan?
- Yes. It has no meat, fish, dairy or eggs.
- Is it gluten free?
- Yes, as written. Check the labels on stock, sauces and spice mixes, which sometimes contain gluten.
- What can I use instead of sweet potato?
- Sweet potato, same weight (sweeter, cooks a little faster).
- What can I use instead of shallots?
- Half an onion per 2 shallots.
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