Cari ga Chicken curry with sweet potatoes and carrots

Cari ga Chicken curry with 
sweet potatoes and carrots 
vietnamese curries are a specialty of the south of the country, where the indian
culinary influences are pronounced. While herbal pastes are generally employed in
Cambodian or Laotian curies, they are absent from vietnamese versions, and fresh herbs such as lemongrass and kaffir lime leaves are used whole as flavor enhancements. Another difference is that for a chicken curry such as this one, the vietnamese cook will marinate the chicken in a sweetened curry powder before
cooking. Potatoes are an integral part of vietnamese curries, with the preferred type being sweet white yams. Serve this with rice or baguette.
ingredients
1 chicken, about 2
1/2 lb (1 kg)
2 tbsp vietnamese Cari (p282) or
store-bought indian curry powder
1 tsp sugar
1 tsp salt
1/4 cup vegetable oil
2–3 white yams or sweet potatoes, peeled
and cut into 1-in (2.5-cm) cubes
3 large garlic cloves, crushed
2 shallots, cut into wedges
1 quart (liter) thick coconut milk (p213)
2 tsp annatto seed extract (optional)
2 stalks lemongrass, outer leaves removed,
then bruised
2 kaffir lime leaves
2 tbsp fish sauce
3 large carrots, peeled and cut into
1/2–2-in- (4–5-cm-) long pieces
salt
method
Remove the legs from the chicken and split them at the joint into thighs and drumsticks. Remove
the wings and discard the tips. Split the chicken in half down the breastbone. Cut out the back and
discard (or reserve for making stock). Cut each breast crosswise into 2 equal pieces. You should
have 10 pieces in total.
Mix together 1 tbsp of the curry powder, the sugar, and the salt in a large bowl. Add the chicken
and toss well to coat. Marinate for 1 hour.
Heat the oil in a large pan over medium-high heat and brown the yams all over for about
5 minutes. (the yams should be browned only, not cooked through.) With a slotted spoon, transfer
the yams to paper towels to drain.
Add the chicken, skin side down, to the pan and cook for about 10 minutes, turning to brown all
sides. With a slotted spoon, transfer the chicken to paper towels to drain.
Add the garlic and shallots to the pan and stir-fry for about 5 minutes or until lightly golden. Add
the remaining curry powder, the coconut milk, annatto seed extract, lemongrass, kaffir lime leaves,
fish sauce, and carrots, then return the chicken and yams to the pan. Bring to a boil. Reduce the
heat to a gentle boil, cover, and cook for 20 minutes or until the chicken and yams are tender.