Thai Norther Curry Pork Belly as I called this menu in English or it is called "Kang Hung Lae" in Thai. This is the best curry and it is my favorite menu at all time. Every time when I prepare this menu, it is always bring back the memories when I was living in my hometown and how happiness growing up in a big family and I always remember helping my parent preparing food in the kitchen all the time.
This Curry Pork Belly has all spices mix flavors from cinnamon which there is some sweetness flavor, curry and cumin powder gave some spiciness flavors with also ginger helped cut down the fatty flavor from the pork belly. This menu, I was using fish sauce but you can substitute with salt or soy sauce if your prefer. As well, I used palm sugar but you can substitute with granulated sugar, brown, sugar, or coconut sugar if you desire. However, you can substitute the sweetness to monk fruit or using stevia if you prefer healthier.
When I was a young girl, I saw my mom using pressure cooker pot to help cooking this menu faster and the help pork belly soften and almost falling a part. I could have find this type of pot at the store but I don't have much space to store it. I am using what I currently have like dutch oven pot, it is a great substitute of pressure cooker pot but only the different process it, I just need to simmer the curry a bit longer. If you have pressure cooker pot, you would let it cook for about 30 to 45 minutes but using a dutch oven pot would need to let the curry simmer for about an hour or 2 hours to get the right texture for this curry menu.
Menu Ingredients Serving for 6
Curry Pork Belly Ingredients
2 pounds of Pork Belly, sliced bite sizes
3 to 4 cloves of Garlic, chopped
1 teaspoon of Cinnamon powder
1/2 teaspoon of Curry powder (*See note 1 for preparing this curry powder from scratch)
1/2 teaspoon of Cumin powder
1/4 teaspoon of Clove powder
1/2 teaspoon of Star Anise Seeds
6 pieces of Dried Star Anises (You can find this ingredient at Asian Market and it should label as "Dried Star Anise" on the package.)
3 tablespoon of Palm Sugar (As well, you can find this ingredient at Asian Market.)
1/4 cups of Fish Sauce
3 and 1/2 cups of Water
1/4 cups of Ginger, thin long sliced
Curry Pork Belly Preparation
In a large pot, started with chopped garlic. Stirred with olive oil at medium high heat for about 1 to 2 minutes.
Then added pork belly and all spices; cinnamon, curry, cumin, and clove powders, star anise seeds, and dried star anises. Mixed well until pork belly looked golden brown.
Added palm sugar and fish sauce into the pot and mixed well for about 2 to 3 minutes.
Added water and stirred well then reduce heat to low and let it simmer for at least an hour or 2 hours, or until the pork belly soften. Make sure to check and stir the pot time to time to make sure that the water not run out and burn the bottom,
Before the pork belly about to be done, added ginger and let it cooked with the curry for at least 20 minutes before turn off the stove.
For serving, transferred the curry pork belly on to a serving deep plate and garnished with fresh sliced ginger over the curry and serve this menu with steamed jasmine rice or we called "Thai Hom Mali".
*Note 1: Homemade Curry Powder Ingredients
2 tablespoons of Turmeric
1/2 tablespoon of Mustard
2 teaspoons of Paprika
Curry Powder Ingredients
This step is really easy to prepare. In a small mixing bowl, added all ingredients and mix well. Store in a small airtight container or spice container that is fine as well. This curry powder will last long because it in powder form.
As Thai authentic way of having this menu, will have fresh cabbage, long green bean, or carrot, chili, or some regular sliced of ginger to cut of the fat flavor from the pork belly. This is a really big meal, I would say. So, I recommended to have this menu during lunch time would really filling my stomach just right and perfect time. Finishing this meal with pineapple or some formatted like pickle or kimchi or even with some lemon water, would help digest the pork belly very well.
Of course, I have video for you to watch of how I preparing this Curry Pork Belly on my YouTube Channel below.
Visit my YouTube Channel at Pitsuda's Kitchen