Vietnamese Curry Stir-Fry

When I get the recipe just right, I'll go to the effort of adding fried shallots on top.

I'm back to my on-and-off mission of trying to make a stir-fry as delicious as the shrimp I used to get at Pho Grand in St. Louis during college. It was called "cari tom" but it definitely wasn't a coconut milk type of curry, and they ALSO have a separate listing on their menu for "cari tom dac biet" which includes "coconut milk sauce" in their description. So I'm pretty sure it was just a stir-fry that had curry flavors in it?

I got myself a big container of Vietnamese curry powder and I'm going to keep experimenting. This is the closest I've come so far.

Changes for the future:

- More oil and sugar, restaurant style

- A blend of fish sauce and soy sauce, instead of just soy sauce

- Fried shallots on top

The Recipe (adapted from Veggie Anh):

3 tb fresh lemongrass, chopped

4 cloves garlic, minced

1 Thai chili, minced

1 pinch salt

2 tb avocado oil

2 tb soy sauce

1 tb curry powder

sugar, to taste

cooked protein: I used tofu, cubed and crisped in the oven

vegetables: I used cabbage, onion, and red bell pepper, sliced thin

In a wok, saute the lemongrass, garlic, and chili in oil for 1 minute
Add the vegetables in order of what takes the longest to cook, salt them, and saute until softened
Add the cooked protein, soy sauce, curry powder, and sugar. Stir and adjust as needed.

The Verdict:

Overall grade: A-

Overall reason: I think it needs fish sauce

Time to prepare: 15 minutes if the protein is already cooked

Husband quote: (Not a quote, but I told him I might try more sugar and oil to make it restaurant-y, and notably he said he didn't think it needed any more sugar or oil. He loved it.)

Comments

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