Chicken curry with sweet potatoes and lime-pepper-salt dipping sauce

Preparation time: 20 minutes
Cooking time: 30 minutes
Yield: 5 servings


Nancie McDermott's cookbook "Quick & Easy Vietnamese" drew praise in a Bookshelf review for its recipes, including this one. "Make this curry and enjoy it in traditional Vietnamese style, accompanied by a warm, crusty baguette perfect for dipping in the luscious and fragrant sauce," McDermott writes.

2 tablespoons vegetable oil
2 cloves garlic, coarsely chopped
4 shallots, thinly sliced
2 stalks fresh lemon grass, trimmed, cut into 2-inch lengths
1 piece (1 1/2 inches long) fresh ginger root, minced
3 tablespoons curry powder
1 1/2 pounds whole bone-in chicken thighs or legs, or 1 pound boneless chicken breasts or thighs, cut into bite-sized chunks
2 tablespoons fish sauce
1 teaspoon sugar
1 teaspoon red chili flakes or chili-garlic sauce
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 3/4 cups low-sodium chicken broth or water
2 sweet potatoes or 4 carrots, peeled, cut into medium chunks
1 1/2 cups unsweetened coconut milk
Lime-pepper-salt dipping sauce, see recipe


1. Heat the oil in a Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Stir in the garlic, shallots, lemon grass and ginger. Stir in the curry powder; cook, stirring, until fragrant and the shallots are translucent, about 2 minutes.

2. Add the chicken in one layer if possible; cook 1 minute. Stir ingredients well; cook, stirring occasionally, until the chicken begins to brown, about 5 minutes. Stir in the fish sauce, sugar, chili flakes and salt; add the broth. Heat to a boil; reduce the heat to maintain a lively simmer. Cook, stirring occasionally, 10 minutes.

3. Add the sweet potatoes and coconut milk; cook until the sweet potatoes are tender and the chicken is cooked, about 15 minutes. Remove the lemon grass; transfer the chicken and sauce to a serving bowl. Serve with dipping sauce on the side.

Lime-pepper-salt dipping sauce: Combine 2 tablespoons each salt and freshly ground pepper with the juice of 3 limes; stir until salt is dissolved.

Nutrition information per serving (without sauce): 338 calories, 48% of calories from fat, 18 g fat, 4 g saturated fat, 67 mg cholesterol, 21 g carbohydrates, 23 g protein, 903 mg sodium, 3 g fiber