Vietnamese Goat Curry (Ca Ri De)

My dear friend A and I ventured out to Footscray during the long weekend, something we used to do quite a bit but that was when I still cooked regularly at home. Instead of our regular Vietnamese meal we opted for Ethiopian food for a change, it was a delightful meal but we both had way too much of the delicious injera. We left the African quarter feeling happy and satisfied (not to mention how full we were), a long stroll to the Vietnamese market followed, for some food shopping and to walk off those fast expanding injera in our stomachs. I picked up some fresh herbs, sauces and spices for the pantry and some very fresh goat meat from a halal butcher.

If you are a fan of Vietnamese chicken curry (ca ri ga) then you might want to give this goat version a try. The recipe and cooking method is exactly the same but do increase the amount of spices and curry powder when cooking this gamey meat, an advice given by a lovely Vietnamese lady who runs an Asian supermarket in my neighbourhood.

The result is a mild but extremely aromatic curry, the tender meat literally falls of the bones a result of the slow and long braising. We had it with some freshly baked baguettes from a Vietnamese bakery but it will go equally well with some hot steamed rice.

serves 6 to 8 as part of a Vietnamese meal

you'll need;

1 x 1.5 kg of goat pieces on the bone*

1 sweet potato, peeled and cubed

1 white/purple sweet potato, peeled and cubed

1 onion, cut into wedges

8 tbs of Vietnamese curry powder

1 tbs of coriander powder

1 tbs of black pepper

4 tbs of roasted chili flakes

4 shallots, chopped 

6 garlic cloves, chopped 

2 lemongrass, cut into 3" lengths and bruised with a hard object

3" piece of ginger, sliced thickly

5 kaffir lime leaves or bay leaves

1.5 cups of chicken stock

300 ml of coconut milk

300 ml of coconut cream

3 tbs of sugar

4 tbs of fish sauce

salt to taste

spring onion, coriander leaves and Thai basil to serve

* Available at halal butcher

Mix goat pieces with 3 tbs of the curry powder, cumin powder, black pepper  and a pinch of salt. Leave it for 20 minutes.

Prepare the aromatics.

Brown goat pieces in batches and set aside.

Saute chopped garlic, shallot, the rest of the curry powder and chili flakes for 30 seconds. then add in the goat pieces. Continue to stir and cook for a few minutes on high heat.

Return the goat pieces to the pot and continue to stir and cook for a few minutes on high heat.

Add lemongrass, ginger, kaffir lime leaves, sugar, seasonings and stock. Mix well and simmer for 10 minutes. Add coconut milk and bring it back to a simmer, cover and cook until the goat is almost tender. (~2 hours)

Add sweet potato and onion wedges and simmer uncovered til sweet potato pieces are tender. Check for seasoning.

Garnish with fresh herbs and chopped chillies and serve with some freshly baked baguette or steamed rice.

Kari Kambing, Malaysian Goat Curry - "Malaysian Monday 38"

If you are in Malaysia and are served a mutton curry, you are more than likely to be eating goat curry instead. Back home goat meat is cheaper and more readily available than lamb or mutton that are imported from either Australia or New Zealand, though I haven't got a clue why it is called mutton. Chicken curry was served quite frequently when I was growing up but once in a while we would be given a treat with this goat version, often during the holidays. Although we have plenty of feral goats in the wild but since they are mainly being exported (Malaysia among one of the largest export markets), so finding goat meat can be a painful exercise. One is able to find goat meat at any halal butcher, if not try using mutton instead.

P.S If you have missed the 10th MMM roundup, don't forget to check it out!

serves 6 to 8 as part of a Malaysian meal

you'll need;

2 kg of goat meat, cut into large chunks

4 potatoes, peeled and cut into chunks

2 large tomato, cut into chunks

3 kaffir lime leaves, torn or 12 curry leaves

2 star anise

6 cloves

1 lemon grass (white part only), bashed

400 ml of coconut milk

200 ml of water

salt and pepper to taste

for the spice paste;

12 shallots, chopped

10 to 15 dried chilies, soaked in hot water for 5 minutes and chopped

5 red chilies, chopped

12 cloves of garlic, chopped

5 cm knob of ginger, chopped

5 cm knob of galangal, chopped

2 cm knob of turmeric, chopped or 2 tsp of turmeric powder

12 candle nuts or brazil nut, chopped

1 lemongrass, chopped (white part only)

small piece of shrimp paste, toasted

5 tbs of Malaysian meat curry paste (I used Burung Nuri brand) made into a paste with some water

Blend everything into a course paste (except the curry paste)

Blend or pound the spice paste and prepare the curry paste.

Heat 3 tbs of cooking oil in a pot and add in the star anise and cloves, cook for 30 seconds before adding the spice paste. Fry wet spices till soften then add the curry paste and continue to fry til oil separate. Throw in the lemon grass and kaffir lime leaves.

Add meat and fry fry in the curry paste for about 5 minutes, making sure all the meat is well coated with the spice paste.

Add coconut milk and water, mix well and simmer with the cover on for 1.5 hours.

Add potatoes and tomatoes and continue to cook until both the meat and potatoes are tender.

This can be served immediately or it will taste even better the next day.

I served the curry with nasi minyak (rice cooked in butter, recipe will be posted next) and a quick cucumber, onion and pineapple pickle. Roti canai ,  roti jala  or some baquette will go very well with the curry too.

My friend Sharon from Test With A Skewer is hosting the May event, please send all your entries to its.sharon.gmail.com. To find out more about the event please click here.