Cà Ri Dê, Vietnamese Mountain Goat Curry with Coriander
Vietnamese curries have a beautiful balance of creamy and savory. There are two main curry dishes in Vietnam, and both are relatively similar, there's a chicken or goat variation. If you find comfort in a giant bowl of beef pho, you will be addicted to this recipe because it eats well with rice noodles! A steaming bowl of jasmine rice or crusty french baguette is also a great compliment to this coconut-based broth.
Your dinner guests will be impressed with the scratch-made curry paste used to marinate the goat. Make it ahead of time and reheat for easy entertaining or weekly meal prep. Anything stew-like always tastes better the next day!
Added deep fried chinese donuts to mop up the extra broth
Good to knows…
Meat choices
For a rustic presentation and more depth in flavor, try the recipe with a whole goat leg (as pictured above), marinated, then roasted bone-in high in the oven to brown. Add the roasted leg into the pot and simmered the entire leg in liquid for 6 hours. Shredded and chopped up the meat into bite-sized chunks. I have to give credit to my dear friend, Derek Gray that coached me through how I would wrangle this whole leg into a pot that didn’t fit. The answer was some tinfoil over top an oven-safe oval pot and put into the oven on low and slow at 260 degrees for 6 hours.
This dish is great for any gamey or rutty kill, as the spices and coconut milk are great for complementing the unique taste wild game can have. You can also soak the meat in a simple salt and sugar water brine (or just plain water or milk) overnight to get rid of any impurities that may cause that gaminess. I love the taste of wild goat and mine was dressed quickly in the field and hiked out, so the meat is rather mild. Fresh chunks of it have an aroma of fresh hay.
Lemongrass Prep: I often cheat and save time by buying frozen minced lemongrass from a Vietnamese market. If you decided to go the easy route, use 6 tablespoons of the pre-minced stuff. Another reason why you would want to go the frozen minced way is if your blender isn't sharp enough to finely mince the lemongrass. You want to avoid large pieces of lemongrass in your paste because it doesn't break down when cooking.
Alternative root vegetables: For extra depth of flavor and more color in the dish, I would suggest using a variety of colored potatoes such as an orange sweet potato, purple Hawaiian yam, a bright-white Japanese potato, and marbled taro root. Be prepared as some root veggies will break down faster than others, but that's ok, it will just thicken up the stew more. If it's too thick, loosen things up with more water or coconut milk and re-season with a pinch of sugar, salt, and a squirt of fish sauce.
Choosing a brand of fish sauce: There's no need to use a premium fish sauce like Red Boat, but I would encourage you to find one with simple ingredients lists with just anchovy, salt, and water.
Cooking rice noodles: If you're using rice noodles, use the special thicker ones since it's a hearty stew. Buy the most expensive ones you can find that say made in Thailand or Vietnam. Italian pappardelle pasta would be a fun alternative! Regardless of rice noodle size, soak them in cold water for at least 30 minutes before boiling them gently on medium-high heat. You don't want to aggressively boil them or the outer layer of the noodle gets too soggy before the center cooks. Always rinse in cold water after boiling to desired tenderness and spread them out to dry before serving.
Cà Ri Dê, Vietnamese Mountain Goat Curry with Coriander
Ingredients
Instructions
- In a dry skillet over medium heat, toast 1/2 tablespoon coriander seeds and 1/2 teaspoon peppercorns for about 3 minutes or until you see the oils released on the pan. In my case, I transferred the toasted seeds into a food processor and ground them to a fine texture.
- Add 2 stalks of lemongrass. Peel off the tough outer layers and trim off the dry tops and ends. Blend until the ground seeds, and lemongrass get light and fluffy.
- Then add the 2 inches of ginger, 3 large cloves of garlic, 1 small onion, 1 to 3 Thai chiles, 1 tablespoon of madras curry powder, and 1 tablespoon of fish sauce. Process to a paste and add a little oil to loosen things up if needed.
- Transfer paste to a mixing bowl large enough to hold 1.5 pounds of goat cut into 2-inch chunks. Add the meat, tossing and turning well to coat all pieces. Cover with plastic wrap and set aside for 1 hour or overnight in the fridge.
- In a heavy dutch pot or stockpot, heat enough oil to cover the bottom of the pan over high heat. In batches, sear the goat pieces. Before adding the goat, scrape off any excess marinade. Save the extra marinade; we'll have use for it later. Set the seared goat on a plate as you finish searing and add additional oil as needed.
- When all the goat meat is seared, lower the heat to medium, and add 2 to 3 tablespoons of oil and the leftover marinade. Cook for about 5 minutes, stirring until it darkens in color. Return the goat, then add 1 cup of coconut milk and enough water to cover the goat. Adjust the heat to a gentle simmer, cover the pot and let it cook for 4 to 6 hours, or until the goat is tender. You can also put it into an oven on low at 250°F for 5-7 hours. Stir occasionally to ensure even cooking.
- Uncover, add the potatoes, and simmer for about 30 minutes, or until the goat and vegetables are tender. Add the remaining 1/2 cup coconut milk for a creamy finish. Heat gently through, then turn off the heat.
- Serve in a bowl with a garnish of chopped cilantro, green onion, and basil. Enjoy lots of jasmine rice, rice noodles, or french bread. A squeeze of fresh lime is mandatory to cut through the creamy coconut broth.
The recipe adapted from Andrea Nguyen at Viet World Kitchen. A few minor tweaks were made to accommodate my taste, such as less coriander, I don’t enjoy the overpowering floral taste, and rather have it more lemongrass forward. Also for a creamier finish, I added more coconut milk at the end with the potatoes. Original recipe HERE.
Andrea has been my go-to gal for all things Vietnamese. Her cookbooks are easy to follow and great for those that want authentic recipes. Wanting to embrace more of my family’s history, her easy-to-follow recipes have given me the confidence to adapt and find my own style of cooking, a merge of my Canadian and Vietnamese heritage.
Happy Cooking!
Jenny
