Curry | gas•tron•o•my

On our final day in Nha Trang, we did a bit of sightseeing and mud bathing. We spent the morning hours seeking out the city’s famous giant Buddha, but stumbled upon a small Buddha first.

Fat, peaceful and happy.

We’re getting closer—the giant Buddha from afar.

At last! We found the giant Buddha.

The temple grounds were adorned with signs engraved with the Buddha’s teachings. This one was one of my favorites—speak like the Buddha, think I like Buddha, work like the Buddha.

Before jetting off to the mud baths, we bought some xoi chien to snack on. They were filled with “meat” that resembled the stuff Taco Bell serves up. Texturally interesting, but not all that tasty.

After our therapeutic mud session, we bought some good ‘ol banh mi and swam in the ocean one last time before catching our flight back to Saigon.

For dessert, Matt and I shared a caramel sundae from an ice cream shop by our hotel. The whipped cream tasted like artificial butter flavoring, which we liked a lot.

Just as we landed in Saigon, I received a call from Ba Sau (my grandma’s sister) inviting me over for dinner. When Ba Sau calls, I always oblige. We ate a lotus stem salad with shrimp and pork…

Cha gio...

Xoi gac!

Fried rice…

And chicken curry with rice vermicelli noodles. I am one lucky girl.

Grandma’s Chicken Curry

5 chicken drum sticks
3 large sweet potatoes
1 large onion
2 tablespoons Vietnamese curry (brand: Con Voy)
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
2 14 ounce cans of light coconut milk
Salt

Peel potatoes and slice into large chunks 1″ thick and 2″ in diameter and set aside. Chop onions and set aside.

Heat the oil in a large pot over moderate heat. Add the onions and sauté until slightly softened. Add a generous dash of salt and 2 tablespoons curry powder, and stir until fragrant, about 10 seconds. Add the chicken and cook until the edges of the pieces are golden, 3 to 4 minutes. Add the sweet potatoes and coconut milk and cook on low heat for 2 hours with the lid on. Make sure the chicken and potatoes are submerged under the coconut milk. After 2 hours, salt to taste if necessary and serve with rice.

Cook’s note: My grandma uses various chicken parts in her curry, but since everyone always prefers the drumsticks my version only uses drumsticks. She also adds regular white potatoes along with the sweet potatoes.