How to Make Duck Curry
How to make duck curry with coconut milk and sweet potatoes, a fragrant dish with the rich flavors of the Mekong Delta that will delight your family.
Ingredients
- 1.5kg duck
- 10g curry powder
- 700ml freshly made coconut milk
- 1 liter fresh coconut water
- 600g yellow sweet potatoes (2-3 pieces)
- 250g onions
- 1 ginger root
- 3-4 lemongrass stalks
- 1-2 bird's eye chilies
- 3 shallots
- 4-5 garlic cloves
- Cilantro
- Bread or vermicelli for serving
- Seasonings: seasoning powder, salt, MSG, sugar, annatto oil, mild chili powder (optional)
- Coarse salt, ginger wine for preparing duck
Ingredient Notes
Avoid choosing overly young ducks, as the meat tends to be mushy and less flavorful.
Siamese duck is the best choice.
In addition to common spices, the main seasoning for this dish is curry powder. You can find curry powder in dry goods stores or supermarkets.
One type of curry powder available on the market.
For this recipe, Cookbeo uses 10g of Old Man brand curry powder (two packets). Pre-made curry sauce is also available, which you can consider using. In addition to curry powder, curry oil is also recommended for added flavor.
To enhance the color of the curry sauce, Cookbeo also uses annatto oil.
Cookbeo uses freshly grated coconut to make coconut milk. For convenience, canned coconut milk can be used, though fresh coconut milk provides a more fragrant, refreshing taste.
Instructions
Prepare the Duck
Thoroughly pluck the duck and remove the tail. Cookbeo usually discards the duck head as it can contain grit.
To remove the gamey smell, rub the duck skin and cavity with coarse salt and ginger wine.
If you have Mei Kuei Lu wine, you can use it to clean the duck, but be cautious not to use too much, as its strong aroma can overpower the dish.
After cleaning with the salt and ginger wine, rinse the duck and let it drain. Cut the duck into medium-sized pieces, but avoid cutting too small, as the meat will shrink when cooked.
Make the Coconut Milk
Peel the outer skin of the coconut, wash it, and shred the coconut meat. Place the shredded coconut into a large bowl, pour in 300ml of hot water (80-90°C), stir, and let it soak for 1 minute. Then strain the mixture to extract the coconut cream into a separate bowl. This coconut cream will be added later, once the duck has softened, to thicken the sauce and enhance the dish’s creamy aroma.
Next, pour 400ml of hot water into the remaining shredded coconut to extract the second, thinner coconut milk. Set this aside as it will be used to simmer the duck along with fresh coconut water.
Prepare Other Ingredients
Mince the garlic, ginger, and shallots.
Peel off the tough outer layers of the lemongrass, wash, and crush the stalks. Mince the top of the lemongrass and cut the rest into 2-3 sections.
Wash and finely chop the chili peppers.
Peel and cut the onions into wedges.
Pick, wash, and coarsely chop the cilantro.
Peel and cut the sweet potatoes into chunks similar in size to the duck pieces. Soak the sweet potatoes in saltwater for 2-3 minutes to reduce the sap and prevent browning, then rinse and drain.
Choose white or yellow sweet potatoes, as purple sweet potatoes tend to break apart easily.
You can also use taro or cassava instead of sweet potatoes for this curry.
Marinate the Duck
Heat 1 tablespoon of cooking oil and 2 tablespoons of annatto oil in a pot, and sauté the minced garlic, shallots, ginger, lemongrass, and chili until fragrant. If you want a deeper red-orange color for the curry, you can add 1 teaspoon of mild chili powder at this stage.
Turn off the heat and stir in most of the curry powder, then add the duck pieces.
Marinate the duck with 1 tablespoon of fish sauce, 1 teaspoon of coarse salt, 1 teaspoon of MSG, 1 tablespoon of sugar, 1 teaspoon of seasoning powder, and a pinch of ground pepper. Mix well and let the duck absorb the seasoning for 30 minutes.
Fry the Sweet Potatoes
Lightly fry the sweet potatoes in a small amount of cooking oil to enhance their flavor and prevent them from breaking apart when cooked. For a golden color, you can add a bit of annatto oil to the frying oil.
After frying, season the sweet potatoes with 1/2 tablespoon of seasoning powder and 1 teaspoon of curry powder. Toss to coat and let the sweet potatoes absorb the flavors.
Cook the Duck Curry
After marinating for 30 minutes, place the pot with the duck back on the stove and cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally until the duck starts to firm up. Add the thin coconut milk (second extraction) and 1 liter of fresh coconut water, enough to cover the duck. If you prefer more curry sauce, you can add additional water as needed.
Once the mixture comes to a boil, reduce the heat and skim off any foam. Cover the pot and simmer for 35-40 minutes over medium-low heat.
Avoid cooking over high heat to preserve the rich, creamy flavor of the coconut milk.
When the duck has reached the desired tenderness, add the sweet potatoes and cook for another 10-15 minutes until they soften.
Adding the coconut cream at the end enhances the dish’s aroma and thickens the sauce. Some cooks also use cornstarch mixed with cold water for added thickness, or mash a few pieces of sweet potato to thicken the broth, though this can make the curry look cloudy.
Once the broth returns to a boil, adjust the seasoning to taste. Duck curry should have a balance of spiciness and sweetness (you can tweak the sweetness to your preference). For this amount of curry, Cookbeo uses 1 teaspoon of salt, 1 teaspoon of seasoning powder, 1/2 teaspoon of MSG, and 1 tablespoon of fish sauce.
Cook for another 20 seconds, then turn off the heat, ladle the curry into a bowl, and sprinkle with chopped cilantro.
Final Product Requirements
Video
Additional Information
Curry refers to dishes prepared by simmering ingredients in a spiced sauce, typically including meats like poultry or beef and starchy vegetables like potatoes, sweet potatoes, or cassava. The flavor profile is predominantly spicy and sweet. Curry dishes are famous in Indian cuisine and popular across Asia and Europe.
Curry powder is a dark yellow, fine powder with a distinct spicy aroma. Its main components include turmeric, coriander seeds, chili, cinnamon, cloves, cumin, cashews, star anise, fennel, black pepper, and cardamom. Because of this, there's no need to add additional spices like cinnamon or star anise when cooking to avoid overpowering the curry’s flavor.
In Vietnam, duck curry is a well-known dish, particularly in the Mekong Delta region. Thai-style duck curry, with its balance of sour, spicy, salty, and sweet flavors, is also gaining popularity.
