How to Cook Chiang Mai Pork Curry

Serves: 4

Preparation time: 10 mins

Cooking time: 1 hour 30 mins

Ingredients needed to make Chiang Mai Pork Curry:

• 200 gm pork ribs
• 200 gm pork belly
• 3 cups ginger, roughly chopped
• 1 cup pickled garlic syrup
• 1 cup pickled garlic
• 12 red shallots, peeled
• ½ cup roasted peanuts
• 2 cups chicken stock
• 4 tbsp tamarind water
• 3 tbsp palm sugar
• 4 tbsp fish sauce
• 3 tbsp vegetables oil

For the curry paste:

• 10 dried long red chilies, deseeded, soaked and drained
• 6 tbsp garlic, chopped
• 1 tbsp galangal, chopped
• 2 tbsp ginger, chopped
• 6 tbsp lemongrass, chopped
• 2 cm cassia bark, roasted and ground
• 1 tbsp coriander seeds, roasted and ground
• 1 tbsp fresh turmeric, chopped
• 2 tsp cumin seeds, roasted and ground
• 3 star anise, roasted and ground
• 2 Thai cardamom pods, roasted and seeds ground
• 5 cloves, roasted and ground
• Large pinch of salt

For ginger-garlic paste:

• 4 garlic cloves, peeled
• 2 cm ginger, peeled
• ½ tsp salt

Cooking instructions for Chiang Mai Pork Curry:

• To make the curry paste, dump all its ingredients in a blender in two batches, along with a splash of water each time, and pulse them into a smooth, thick puree; set aside.
• Throw in the ingredients for ginger-garlic paste into a mortar and pestle and pound them into a smooth paste.
• Fill a large pot with water and bring it to a rolling boil over moderately high heat.
• Drop the meat into the boiling water and blanch for several minutes.
• Drain them out into a colander and set aside until cool enough to handle.
• Transfer the pork onto a chopping board and chop them into 2 cm chunks
• Heat a lashing of oil in a skillet and scrap out the ginger-garlic paste into the pan.
• Stir fry for several minutes or until they turn golden brown.
• Add a splodge of the curry paste into it and toss the pork cubes into the pan.
• Stir them all together until well coated and bring it to a simmer.
• Cook likewise for 6-8 minutes, stirring regularly, and stir in the pickled garlic and its syrup, ginger, shallots as well as peanuts and sprinkle the palm sugar on top.
• Add a splash each of tamarind water plus fish sauce and stir them all together until mixed well.
• Pour in the stock and continue to simmer the curry for an hour or until the pork is cooked through.
• Adjust the seasonings if necessary and serve warm alongside steamed rice.

Image credit: Wikimedia Commons