When I began my last themed mystery meal I delved deep into the history of the aromatic medley of spices that is curry. I chose to do an Indian, Thai and Japanese version and I have to say, it was a big hit. In my heart however, I knew that I wanted to enlighten people about Vietnamese Curry, which in my biased opinion, is my favorite. You can eat it with a warm, toasted baguette, fluffy white rice, or even rice noodles. Cà ri came to Vietnam in the 19th century when France controlled both port cities: Saigon, and Pondicherry. The French decided to bring in Indian immigrants to work for them as they did not trust the Vietnamese.

All in all, Vietnamese Ca Ri is a thin, yet creamy, soup with sweet and aromatic notes of lemongrass, crunchy carrots and rich taro.

Ingredients
Seasoning:
8 tablespoons of vietnamsese curry powder
1 tablespoon of garlic powder
1 tablespoon of onion powder
1 tablespoon of white pepper
1 tablespoon of black pepper
6 tablespoons of chicken bouillon
1 teaspoon of salt
2 tablespoons of sugar
1 teaspoon of turmeric
2 tablespoons of soy sauce
2 tablespoons of ground ginger
2 tablespoons of beef bouillon
6 tablespoons of fish sauce + some to taste

Oil and Liquids:
6 cups of water 1-1/2 can of coconut milk
Produce:
1 stalk of lemongrass or minced lemongrass
1 white onion
2 whole garlic, minced
2 pounds of chopped whole chicken (can substitute for drumsticks and chicken thighs too)
1 taro peeled and chopped
½ bag of baby carrots or three large carrots peeled and chopped into matchsticks

Equipment needed:
1 large soup pot
1 small pot

Directions:

Mix 1 tablespoon of soy sauce, 1 tablespoon of chicken bouillon, 1 tablespoon of Vietnamese curry powder and massage into your chicken pieces.
Marinate for 15 minutes to overnight
Peel and cut your taro into thick pieces
If using large carrots, do the same.
In a small pot chop your lemon grass and saute with 2 tablespoons of oil on medium heat until aromatic
Then add one cup of water and raise it to medium high heat
Let it come to a boil and turn it off and take out the large pieces.
In a large pot, coat the bottom with oil and set it to medium heat
Add your cut taro and saute for about five minutes
Set aside and add oil if needed
Add in your marinated chicken and saute for five minutes
Cut a white onion into slivers
Take out your chicken and set aside in its own bowl
Add your white onion and saute for a minute or so
Add in your minced garlic
Add 3 tablespoons of Vietnamese curry powder, 1 teaspoon of turmeric, 1 tablespoon of garlic powder, 1 tablespoon of onion powder, 1 tablespoon of white pepper, 1 tablespoon of black pepper, 2 tablespoons of ground ginger and 3 tablespoons of oil and saute together with onion and garlic for about five minutes on medium heat, constantly stirring with a wooden spatula to make sure the spices do not burn.
After your five minutes of sauteing, add your chicken and your carrots and stir on medium heat for another five minutes
Add 5 cups of water, or enough to cover the entire batch of chicken.
Stir and add 5 tablespoons of chicken bouillon and 2 tablespoons of sugar and stir
Add your taro to the pot and stir again
Cover and set it to medium high heat and cover and let it cook for 10 minutes
Add the rest of your curry powder, 2 tablespoons of beef bouillon, and 1 teaspoon of salt.
Stir and add 1 cup of coconut milk, 6 tablespoons of fish sauce, 2 tablespoons of soy sauce, and your lemongrass water and stir.
Cover the pot and cook on medium heat at 10 minutes again
See if your curry needs a thicker consistency, if you need it thicker, add more coconut milk.
After making sure you like the consistency, start tasting to see if you need more fish sauce!
Let it rest and cover, eat with your choice of rice vermicelli, rice or a toasty baguette!