Vietnamese Chicken and Sweet Potato Curry

I do apologise for the lack of posts recently. It’s not that I’ve given up on cooking, I’ve just been really busy, first with work experience, then with heading back home to Bath, and finally with my first cooking related injury (nasty cut to the finger whilst chopping tomatoes – not cool). But I HAVE been cooking, I promise!! Not only that, I invested in a new cookbook too, ‘Alice’s Cook Book’, by Alice Hart, at half price I couldn’t really resist. With recipes broken up into categories such as ‘Picnic, campervans and happy camping’, ‘seasonal Sunday lunch’ and ‘Party’, its really easy to follow and the recipes are genuinely things that you actually want to try.

My first recipe choice from the book is a Vietnamese Chicken and Sweet Potato Curry. I’ve really taken to coconut milk based curry’s of late, preferring that light, almost perfumed taste that they give to their heavy tomato based counterparts. This curry does not disappoint. Pretty simple to follow and containing mostly store cupboard items, the ingredients make a good basic curry which you can add just about any other veg to, depending on what you have left over in the fridge. The level of spice is also easily controlled; I was rather cautious with my half a teaspoon of chilli flakes, but you can be a lot more generous if you so wish.

Adapted from ‘Alice’s Cook Book’

Serves 2 very hungry students

2 chicken breast, cut into chunks (Alice uses thighs)

1 ½ tbsp medium curry powder

2 tsp light brown sugar

1 tbsp sesame oil

½ onion, chopped (Alice uses shallots)

1 garlic clove, chopped

1 lemongrass stalk, chopped

½ tsp chilli flakes

1 tbsp Thai fish Sauce

1 large sweet potato, peeled and cubed

400 ml can coconut milk

coriander leaves, to serve

1. Mix half the curry powder, sugar and a pinch of salt in a bowl. Coat the chicken in the mixture and set aside.
2. Heat the oil in a deep pan and add the onion, garlic and lemongrass. Fry for a couple of minutes until softened. Add the rest of the curry powder, chilli flakes and chicken and stir fry for a few more minutes.
3. Add the sweet potato, 1 tbsp of fish sauce, coconut milk and half a wine glass of water. Bring to the boil, and then simmer for 20 minutes, until the chicken and sweet potato are cooked through. Taste and add more fish sauce if required. Serve with steamed rice and a sprinkling of coriander.

Culinary Know How: FRESHER

Budget: UNDER £4

Kitchen Requirements: BOWL, LARGE FRYING PAN.