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Delicious chicken curry

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Vietnamese Lemongrass Chicken Recipe

October 16, 2007 · 55 comments

in Vietnamese Recipes

Lemongrass Chicken
Lemongrass Chicken pictures (2 of 4)
Click the image to see next picture

I told you about clearing out my fridge in my last post, so this is the second installment where I used the leftover lemongrass, shallots, and chicken breasts as the main ingredients.

I found this Vietnamese lemongrass chicken recipe on a recent copy of Food & Wine magazine–an article about Vietnamese recipes. I believe this is not the most authentic lemongrass chicken recipe around, but it worked out really well and I enjoyed it, especially the caramelized sweet taste of this dish…

I am not going to write a lengthy post because of some last-minute shopping that I have to do, but I shall leave you with this wonderful recipe of Vietnamese Lemongrass Chicken.

Enjoy!

Related Recipes:

  1. Vietnamese Tau Hu Ky or bean curd skin with shrimp
  2. Vietnamese Cha Tom or Hue shrimp patties

Recipe: Vietnamese Lemongrass Chicken
Adapted from Food & Wine Magazine, October 2007
“Simple, Tasty Vietnamese Cooking”

Ingredients:

2 tablespoons fish sauce
3 garlic cloves, crushed
1 tablespoon curry powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons plus 1 1/2 teaspoons sugar
1 1/2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breast/thigh, cut into 1 1/2-inch pieces
3 tablespoons water
3 tablespoons cooking oil
2 fresh lemongrass stalks, tender inner white bulbs only, minced
1 large shallot, thinly sliced
3 chilies, seeded and minced
1 scallion for garnishing

Method:

In a bowl, combine the fish sauce, garlic, curry powder, salt, and 1 1/2 teaspoons of the sugar. Add the chicken meat to coat.

In a small skillet, mix the remaining 2 tablespoons of sugar with 1 tablespoon of the water and cook over high heat, stirring until the sugar is dissolved. Cook without stirring until a deep amber caramel forms. Remove from the heat and stir in the remaining 2 tablespoons of water. Transfer to a bowl.

Heat a wok over high heat. Add the oil and heat until shimmering. Add the lemongrass, shallot, and chilies and stir-fry until fragrant. Add the chicken and caramel and stir-fry until the chicken is cooked through and the sauce is slightly thickened. Transfer to a bowl and top with the scallion. Serve with steamed white rice.

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Related Posts:

  1. Banh Hoi (Vietnamese Rice Noodles with Beef)
  2. Bo Luc Lac (Vietnamese Shaking Beef)
  3. Tom Kha Gai Recipe (Thai Coconut Chicken Soup)

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{ 54 comments… read them below or add one }

K & S 10.16.07 at 9:52 PM

I wish I could get lemongrass here. This reminds me of the lemongrass chicken bahn mi I used to eat in Hawaii.

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Nabeela 10.16.07 at 9:59 PM

That looks lovely. My husband would love it…he is big on asian flavors! Thanks for posting :)

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Brilynn 10.16.07 at 10:12 PM

Your blog makes me hungry at the most inopportune hours! I could happily eat a bowlful of this right now…

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Cedar 10.16.07 at 10:42 PM

That sounds incredible, I am saving the recipe, and am going to try it later this week!

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Cindy. Lo. 10.16.07 at 10:49 PM

Can I have a bowl of rice please!

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Oh for the love of food! 10.17.07 at 12:06 AM

I’ts a real pity that I don’t live where you are. I’d invite myself over everyday when you need to clear your fridge! Love your Lemongrass chicken, and your prawn balls with the wanton skin strips is a BLAST!Is there a lucky guy in particular that gets to savour all your Yummy stuff?

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Claude-Olivier 10.17.07 at 12:09 AM

Hi, it sounds so good that I will try this recipe this week, that’s for sure! I will travel throught Asia with your food ;-) cheers

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Andreea 10.17.07 at 3:03 AM

that sounds absoulety delicious. something for the weekend
i als overy much love how you created the 4 photo slide. any chance you could share the secret tool? i am obviously totally at the other extreme to tech savy :)

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East Meets West Kitchen 10.17.07 at 4:44 AM

I love your picture (as always), and since I have all the ingredients on hand, I can’t wait to try this tonight. Thanks!

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Lydia 10.17.07 at 5:03 AM

A friend just harvested some lemongrass from her garden, and I’ve been making a list of recipes that use it. I’ll definitely try this one!

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Happy cook 10.17.07 at 5:36 AM

Wow they just look superb.When i saw the pic i thought u deepfried the chicken but it is the caramel which gives it suce a nice colour.
I am for sure going to try this recipe.
I don’t like the fish sauce can i omit that.

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veron 10.17.07 at 9:01 AM

Wonderful! My practicing my Asian food cooking skills and I love lemon grass chicken so I guess I know what I’ll be making soon!

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Marvin 10.17.07 at 9:27 AM

Rasa, this looks really really good. I’ve never cooked with lemongrass, but I love it’s flavor.

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JadedOne 10.17.07 at 9:28 AM

Perfect! This is what I’ll make for dinner tonight :)

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ptanu 10.17.07 at 9:43 AM

I love the flavor of lemongrass but I’ve never cooked with it much–my mum’s recipes always tend to be so complex. This is one I’m definitely going ot try!

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Terry B 10.17.07 at 10:07 AM

This sounds and looks wonderful! A quick question–what kind of chilies do you use?

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yygarvin 10.17.07 at 10:28 AM

looks absolutely delish! ur blog inspires me to cook! will try this recipe over the weekend. loving ur work!

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tigerfish 10.17.07 at 10:32 AM

Wooo… I simply love lemongrass in anything. I made the so-called Baba coriander chicken before and it uses lemongrass too. YUMS!

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wmw 10.17.07 at 12:22 PM

Aiyoh…one of my fave Viet dishes!

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meeso 10.17.07 at 2:15 PM

I just found fresh lemongrass at the store and now I know how to use it! This sounds simple too :)

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anh 10.17.07 at 2:16 PM

Recipe pretty much looks right on. The only thing that normally isn’t used is the curry powder =)

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Jackson 10.17.07 at 6:38 PM

oohh…the picture is awesome!! The recipe is great! I love anything with lemongras!

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Kevin 10.17.07 at 7:56 PM

Sounds tasty. Now if only it wasn’t so hard to find lemongrass.

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Lemongrass 10.18.07 at 4:49 AM

Looks delicious! Nice pictures too!

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bea at la tartine gourmande 10.18.07 at 4:56 AM

Delicious recipe. Everything that I like is in it. Lemongrass, such a lovely ingredient.

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JadedOne 10.18.07 at 10:21 AM

RM – I made this last night and it came out beautfully! Thank you!

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Jen Yu 10.18.07 at 1:12 PM

another gorgeous looking dish. i want you to come to my house when i’m cleaning out MY fridge! thanks for the awesome posts and recipes – you keep me Asian, woman :)

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Kate 10.18.07 at 4:12 PM

Rasa , the colour of this chicken is so rich and gorgeous.Just wondering if 2. half tbsps would be too sweet ! oe maybe the curry pwd will balance it out. Looks fab …defi worth a try !

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Cynthia 10.18.07 at 9:50 PM

I’ve had this dish at the home of some friends, the only thing is that they used chicken wings. It was soooooo good and was finished in no time :) No, No, not by me alone (lol)

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Andaliman 10.18.07 at 10:15 PM

lovely shot and yummy indeed

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"Joe" who is constantly craving 10.19.07 at 8:44 PM

looks yum!!..i want to try this..but dis looks like i need to go for some grocery shopping

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Piggy 10.19.07 at 9:55 PM

Wow, another post that makes me drool! ;-)

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Graeme 10.20.07 at 11:52 AM

Lemongrass Chicken – It’s just one of those things you KNOW you’ll love.

Beautiful photos as always. Really, really beautiful.

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Sunkid 10.21.07 at 1:59 PM

Another great shot there! Your recipe sounds divine, and one thing I’ve been wanting to ask you for a long time: Are you using a digicam or one of those SLR Digital cameras?

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Amy 10.21.07 at 2:46 PM

This sounds delicious! I think I will have to make it this week. :)

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joey 10.22.07 at 3:55 AM

That sounds sooooo good! Love things that are both sweet and spicy :) Love lemongrass too! Over here we call lemongrass tanglad :)

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A kitchen scientist & a white rat hubby!!! 10.22.07 at 6:59 AM

my my…, somehow happened to stumble over this site, and trust me..have been sitting here in front of my monitor, and have gone thru all the posts, from Day 1 !!!

lov ur snaps, cud definitely see the quality rise in snaps from the initial to those now (from good to superb, i mean)…

the prawns balls, shrimp roll with popped out tail….got no words to say, except that i am just can resist tryin it out myself…

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Rosa's Yummy Yums 10.23.07 at 6:16 PM

Oh, I love Vietnamese recipes! That chicken dish looks gorgeous and ever so photogenic!

Cheers,

Rosa

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Dwiana P 10.24.07 at 7:55 AM

WOW this chicken must taste very delicous! I don’t mind eating chicken everyday.

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Julia 10.25.07 at 10:00 PM

I made this a few nights ago and it was absolutely delicious! I grated in some fresh ginger too. Mine didn’t turn out such a beautiful caramel colour, but it became an instant fave for me and I’ll be making it often – thank you!

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Gay 10.26.07 at 8:27 AM

I like to cook with lemon grass a lot – in soups, grills and stews. This one I must try. Thanks.

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Claude-Olivier 11.06.07 at 1:47 PM

hi, how are you ? I’ve just publish your recipe on my blog ;-) Have a look!

Have a very nice day
Cheers

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Anonymous 02.28.08 at 10:15 PM

I’m Vietnamese, and I have to say this looks very similar to the way my family makes this dish-I’ll have to try it soon! We deal with lemongrass a lot, and though I don’t particularly like the flavor, it’s a great addition to marinating meats and to recipes like this :) And you can find lemongrass in just about any asian market (I fortunately live near more than five of them), so the ingredients are really easy to get as well.

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Joy de Vivre 03.25.08 at 9:40 AM

Wow. I made this last night – and it was just as good as the pictures looked! Not too much work either! Yuuuummmmmmmmyyyy!

Thanks!

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Sharon 04.29.08 at 2:27 PM

I was searching for recipes to use up my leftover lemongrss and this just might be it! Thanks :)

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Dibs 07.01.08 at 6:06 AM

sounds good. will try it this weekend

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Yun 09.05.08 at 12:36 PM

Thank you for posting this lemongrass chicken recipe. My partner loves this dish.

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GiGi 09.10.08 at 5:29 PM

i hv tried your recipe, and it works really well!! the lemongrass aroma is everywhere in my little apartment and my 2 boys just keep on asking me, “mama, wat is that smell? it sound so delicious!” Oh! Man….Thanks alot, u make up my day:)

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Anonymous 09.22.08 at 12:06 PM

I tried your vietnamese lemongrass chicken recipe for my husband and now vietnamese lemongrass chicken is a favourite in our house.

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Anonymous 01.29.09 at 10:40 AM

I tried this recipe yesterday and we all like it. It was yummy and i love lemongrass flavor. Definitely will be making it again.

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Martin & Emma 02.08.09 at 1:20 PM

Travelled around in Vietnam in 2003 and enjoyed the lemongrass chicken. Tried the dish tonight and loved it!

Martin & Emma, Sweden

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Princess Mouseau 02.22.09 at 11:13 AM

I’ve tested the recipe!
I failed to add water at the end of making the caramel and it hardened.. But it still tasted fantastic without the caramel! Thanks for sharing!

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Anon 03.04.09 at 10:27 AM

‘Recipe pretty much looks right on. The only thing that normally isn’t used is the curry powder =)’

I agree with the comment above. There is another dish, which people use fresh Turmeric, it calls ‘Ga xao xa nghe’, which translates as ‘Stir-fried chicken with lemon grass and Turmeric’ in that case people use Turmeric instead of Caramel sauce to give the dish a yellow colour.The combination of the two herbs gives the dish a different taste. Added crush unsalt peanuts for garnishing to both dishes you’ll get the perfect taste. Anyway, I really enjoy your blog and have tried many other recipes, thank for sharing. Happy cooking. :-)

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you never answer questions 04.15.09 at 9:14 AM

Why do people ask questions. It’s obvious that you never answer them.

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Rasa Malaysia replied:

Hi there – I receive hundreds of comments on a daily basis and I can’t afford to answer everyone of them.

Thanks for your understanding.

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