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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.)



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