Save yourself some money and calories by making your own flavour packed curry at home. This creamy and mild Vietnamese Chicken and Sweet Potato Curry, also called Càri Gà, is comfort food at its best and so easy to make, you will never buy ready made curry sauce again. Tender chunks of chicken and soft bites of sweet potato smothered in a cream and flavour packed curry sauce.
You can't beat a classic chicken curry, and this one is bulked out with sweet potato and covered in the most incredible Vietnamese style curry sauce. With a well stocked spice rack, you can make this easy Vietnamese spice blend that will take a creamy chicken curry to the next level.
We love sweet potato in curries, but we have lots of other sweet potato recipes - try our versatile Air Fryer Sweet Potato Cubes, crispy Sweet Potato Fries, easy Sweet Potato Salad or our quick Microwaved Sweet Potato.
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Why You Will Love It
- An exciting new curry to try
- Creamy and comforting
- Protein packed
- Only 340 calories per portion
- Really easy to adapt with different ingredients.
Ingredients and Substitutions
A full ingredients list, along with US Customary and Metric measurements, can be found in the recipe card at the end of this post.
- Chicken breast - We used breast to keep the curry leaner, but you can use chicken thighs too.
- Sweet potato and carrots - Adds some nice chunkiness to the curry. You could also use mushrooms, aubergine (eggplant) or courgette (zucchini).
- Ca ri spice blend - An authentic Vietnamese spice blend (see below for the recipe). You could use curry powder, garam masala or your own favourite spice blend.
- Coconut milk - To make the lovely creamy sauce. We used full fat as it gives the best flavour.
- Fish sauce - Adds a nice umami flavour to the curry.
- Shallots, garlic and lemongrass - The base of the curry sauce.
- Kafir lime leaves - Can be omitted, but adds a little zestiness to the curry.
- Stock - Vegetable or chicken stock will both work. Try to use the best quality you can, as you really will be able to taste the difference.
A full ingredients list with measurements is in the recipe card below.
How to Make Cari Ga - Step by Step
One: Heat a dry frying pan over a medium heat. Add all the spice mix ingredients and roast for 2 minutes until they have darkened, shaking the pan constantly to prevent burning. Remove from the heat and allow to cool.
Two: Put the chicken into a bowl with half of the spice mix and the salt. Toss well to coat. Cover and marinate in the fridge for 30 minutes.
Three: Heat the oil in a large pan over a medium heat and brown the sweet potatoes for about 5 minutes so they are just browned, not cooked through. Remove the potatoes and set aside.
Four: Add the chicken to the pan and cook for 8-10 minutes, turning to brown all sides. Take the chicken out and put with the sweet potatoes.
Five: Add the shallots and garlic to the pan and stir fry for 5 minutes.
Six: Add the rest of the spice mix, coconut milk, lemongrass paste, kaffir lime leaves, carrots, fish sauce, chicken and sweet potatoes to the pan.
Seven: Stir well and simmer for 20 minutes.
What Vegetables to Add
The great thing about this a curry curry is that you can pretty much use any vegetables you want. It's a great fridge raid meal to reduce waste, as you can use vegetables that are starting to look a bit sorry for themselves.
We like chunky veg like bell peppers, courgette, aubergine and cauliflower. But you could also add carrot, mushrooms, broccoli or parsnip.
We always like to add some greens to a dish if we can, so we why not try stirring in some spinach a few minutes before it is ready. You could use kale instead though or even some peas.
Serving Suggestions
If you are looking for a light meal, then just a big bowl of this chicken and sweet potato curry will hit the spot. However, if you want something more filling, then why not serve it with our Raita or our Turmeric Rice? Fluffy coconut rice also goes really well with this, as does our Homemade Flatbread.
Extra Tips
- Add a teaspoon of palm sugar at the end for a truly authentic taste.
- For this curry to have the best flavour, make sure you are using really good quality spices that haven't expired.
- Why not try making a plant based version of this and swapping the chicken for chickpeas.
- To make this curry spicier, add some extra dried chillies. You might want to wait until it is cooked to taste it and then sprinkle them on top to reach your desired heat level.
Frequently Asked Questions
If you have any leftovers, then it can be stored in an air tight container in the fridge for up to 3 days. You can even freeze this curry for up to 2 months. To reheat, make sure it is fully defrosted in the fridge and then add it to a pan and heat through until piping hot.
Yes, this can be cooked in the slow cooker. Follow the recipe up until step 7 and then put it all in the slow cooker and cook on high for 3 hours.
If you don't want to use chicken in this recipe, then you could swap it for king prawns, or just stick to chunky vegetables for a plant based option. Chickpeas also go really well with the sweet potato.
More Curry Recipes
If you’ve tried this Vietnamese chicken curry, let us know how you got on in the comments below.
Tag us in your creations on Instagram @hungryhealthyhappy - Use the hashtag #hungryhealthyhappy too.
Recipe
Chicken and Sweet Potato Curry (Cari Ga)
Ingredients
For the Vietnamese spice mix:
- 4 Curry leaves - chopped
- 1 tablespoon Dried chillies - chopped
- 2 tablespoon Coriander seeds
- 0.5 teaspoon Cumin seeds
- 0.5 teaspoon Mustard seeds -
- 0.5 teaspoon Fenugreek seeds
- 0.5 teaspoon Cloves
- 0.5 teaspoon Black peppercorns
- 0.5 teaspoon Ground turmeric
- 0.5 teaspoon Ground ginger
- 0.5 teaspoon Ground nutmeg
- 0.5 teaspoon Ground cinnamon
For the curry:
- 500 g (17.5 oz) Chicken breast - cut into 2.5cm cubes
- 0.5 teaspoon Sea salt
- 2 tablespoon Olive oil
- 1 Sweet potato - peeled and cut into cubes
- 2 Carrots - peeled and cut into pieces
- 3 Shallots - cut into wedges
- 2 Garlic clove - crushed
- 300 ml (1.5 cups) Light coconut milk
- 100 ml (0.5 cups) Vegetable stock
- 2 teaspoon Lemongrass paste
- 2 Kaffir lime leaves
- 1 tablespoon Fish sauce
Instructions
- Heat a dry frying pan over a medium heat. Add 4 Curry leaves, 1 tablespoon Dried chillies, 2 tablespoon Coriander seeds, 0.5 teaspoon Cumin seeds, 0.5 teaspoon Mustard seeds, 0.5 teaspoon Fenugreek seeds, 0.5 teaspoon Cloves, 0.5 teaspoon Black peppercorns, 0.5 teaspoon Ground turmeric, 0.5 teaspoon Ground ginger, 0.5 teaspoon Ground nutmeg, and 0.5 teaspoon Ground cinnamonToast for 2 minutes until they have darkened, shaking the pan constantly to prevent burning. Remove from the heat and allow to cool.
- Transfer the spices to a spice mill or pestle and mortar and grind into a fine powder.
- Put 500 g Chicken breast into a bowl with half of the spice mix and 0.5 teaspoon Sea salt. Toss well to coat. Cover and marinate in the fridge for 30 minutes.
- Heat 2 tablespoon Olive oil in a large pan over a medium heat and cook 1 Sweet potato for about 5 minutes so they are just browned, not cooked through. Remove the potatoes and set aside.
- Add the chicken to the pan and cook for 8-10 minutes, turning to brown all sides. Take the chicken out and put with the sweet potatoes.
- Add 3 Shallots and 2 Garlic clove to the pan and stir fry for 5 minutes.
- Add the rest of the spice mix, 300 ml Light coconut milk, 2 teaspoon Lemongrass paste, 2 Kaffir lime leaves, 2 Carrots, 1 tablespoon Fish sauce, 100 ml Vegetable stock, chicken and sweet potatoes to the pan.
- Stir well and simmer for 20 minutes.
Recipe Tips
- Add a teaspoon of palm sugar at the end for a truly authentic taste.
- For this curry to have the best flavour, make sure you are using really good quality spices that haven't expired.
- Why not try making a plant based version of this and swapping the chicken for chickpeas.
- To make this curry spicier, add some extra dried chillies. You might want to wait until it is cooked to taste it and then sprinkle them on top to reach your desired heat level.
Nutritional Information
The nutritional information provided is approximate and is calculated using online tools. Information can vary depending on various factors, but we have endeavoured to be as accurate as possible.
As all appliances vary, cooking times are a guide. Please note that by changing the serving size, the cooking time may also need to be altered.
Paighton Millington - The Lazy Baker says
Oh yummy. I'm definitely saving this and trying it myself. Hopefully I can find all the ingredients!
Anna @AnnaTheApple says
Mmmm I can almost smell this!! Love all the spices you've used. I'm actually not a huge cinnamon fan - for me it's more of a sweet thing, like in Christmas cakes and things like that. But when it's mixed up with lots of other spices it's fine. Americans adore it don't they? I always find that a bit weird - especially when they have lots of cinnamon sweets.
Amy says
Looks sooo good!!! Not sure where I would find some of the ingredients and I'm kind of a lazy grocery shopper... But this looks worth the effort!
Kellie Kearney says
My mouth is watering!!! Where will I find curry leaves and fenugreek seeds?
Ali @ Home & Plate says
I am all about making my own spice mixes. That way it's the way you want it with the right amount of flavors. This curry sounds delicious. What time should I be over for dinner:)
Mark, Compass & Fork says
So pleased to see that you make your own curry paste and your recipe looks delicious. Using a pre-made paste seems like cheating to me. Love those Vietnamese flavors, maybe my favorite Asian cuisine.
Susie @ SuzLyfe says
I bet this tastes and SMELLS delicious! I'm not quite ready for this sort of commitment to fall, but soon enough!
Sam B says
I am always looking for new ways to cook with sweet potato, I will certainly be giving this one a go this week!
Carolyn says
Those deer photos are amazing - you are so fortunate to be able to get close to them.
The curry looks really great too - it sounds really warming and comforting. Thanks for the recipe.
Samantha says
Cinnamon has got to be one of my favourite spices and this curry sounds lovely. I'll definitely be giving this one a go very soon I think.
LaaLaa says
Mm, I could just taste this now, even just potato and the curry sauce does me fine! Having a car with a baby will be so helpful and you'll also be able to travel without hassle with the baby :)
Sara-Jayne says
As soon as I saw the word Vietnamese, you had me. I LOVE Vietnamese cuisine since my housemate at law school was from Vietnam. Your dish looks amazing!
Tracey says
The ingredients here are right up my street - specially the addition of sweet potato as it's a slow release carb (much better than standard white potatoes). Looks delicious too. Tx
Carole says
We usually order a curry on a Friday night, but we are saving for a retirement holiday at the moment, and that is something we could cut back on.
I look forward to seeing more curry recipes for us to try, but this one looks lovely.
Angie@Angie's Recipes says
Delicious! That curry gravy looks perfectly saucy and yum!