Gaeng Hung Lay Curry

This traditional Northern Thai dish originated from Burma and consists of stewed pork belly and shoulder in a rich, dark fragrant sauce finished with ginger and peanuts. It is typically what you can find in the Chiang Mai region. As the people in that region cook with less coconut milk, it is a much lighter curry compared to its counterparts in other parts of Thailand. Also, meat is used as fish is less readily available in the Chiang Mai region.

This recipe from Gordon's Gordon's Great Escape Southeast Asia and serves 4. See my modifications in blue.

 

Ingredients:

 

Curry paste

6-8 dried red chillies, rehydrated and roughly chopped

1 tsp salt

2 lemongrass stalks, trimmed and roughly sliced

2cm knob galangal, peeled and chopped

4 shallots, peeled and chopped

1 tsp shrimp paste (I omitted this)

Pork 

vegetable oil, for cooking

500g pork belly, diced

500g pork shoulder or leg, diced

2 tsp curry powder

2 tsp ground cinnamon

4 tbsp fish sauce

4 tbsp oyster sauce

4 tbsp dark soy sauce

2 tbsp palm or cane sugar

1 tbsp pickled ginger (optional)

2 garlic cloves, peeled

2 tbsp pickled ginger, finely chopped

approx 800ml chicken stock

100g toasted peanuts

2 tbsp shredded ginger
1 head cauliflower, cut into pieces

 

Garnish

1 red chilli, finely sliced

2 tbsp shredded ginger

Method:

1. Grind together all the curry paste ingredients until smooth, either in a blender or pestle and mortar with 2 tbsp water. Heat 4 tbsp oil in a large wok, add the paste and cook for a few minutes.
2. Place the pork belly and shoulder or leg in a large bowl and toss together with the curry powder and cinnamon to evenly coat. Add the pork to the pan with the curry paste and saute for a few minutes. Add the fish sauce, oyster sauce, dark soy sauce and sugar and continue to cook for a few minutes to caramelise the pork.
3. Bash together the pickled garlic, if using, garlic and pickled ginger and add to the wok. Pour in the chicken stock and bring to the boil. Reduce the heat to a simmer, cover with foil or a lid and allow to cook gently for 1.5 - 2 hours, until the meat is tender.
4. Towards the last 20 minutes of cooking, add the toasted peanuts and shredded ginger to the pan and continue to cook.
5. Spoon into bowls to serve and garnish with thinly sliced red chilli and more shredded ginger.

 

This is the first time I had a curry made this way. I would say that it is a very interesting taste as I never expected curry to be cooked with dark soy sauce etc. It is very different from the usual ones I cooked and tried. However, I think it does taste good.

 

I'm submitting this post to Cook-Your-Books#28 organized by Joyce of kitchenflavours.