Gaeng Hang Lay (Northern Pork Belly Curry)
A rich, Burmese-influenced curry of slow-cooked pork belly with ginger, pickled garlic, tamarind and peanuts. No coconut milk.
- Region
- Northern Thailand
- Condiments
- Fish Sauce, Shrimp Paste, Palm Sugar, Tamarind, Thai Soy Sauces
- Vegetables
- Lemongrass, Galangal, Thai Shallots, Garlic, Ginger, Dried Red Chillies
Ingredients
- Paste: 8 dried long red chillies, deseeded, soaked and chopped
- Paste: 2 stalks lemongrass, sliced, and 2 cm galangal, chopped
- Paste: 5 small shallots and 6 cloves garlic, chopped
- Paste: 1 tsp shrimp paste and ½ tsp salt
- 2 tbsp hang lay curry powder (or 1 tbsp mild curry powder, 1 tsp ground coriander, ½ tsp ground cumin, ½ tsp ground turmeric)
- 700 g pork belly and 300 g pork shoulder, cut into 3 cm chunks
- 1 tbsp dark soy sauce
- 2 tbsp neutral oil
- 5 cm fresh ginger, peeled and cut into fine matchsticks
- 1 small head pickled garlic (kratiam dong), cloves separated, plus 2 tbsp of its liquid
- 50 g roasted unsalted peanuts
- 3 tbsp tamarind concentrate
- 3 tbsp palm sugar
- 2 tbsp fish sauce
- Sticky rice or jasmine rice, to serve
Instructions
Gaeng hang lay came to northern Thailand with Burmese and Shan traders and is now one of the region’s celebration dishes, made for weddings, temple fairs and New Year. It is a dark, glossy curry with no coconut milk: pork belly simmered until meltingly tender in a sauce that is sweet, sour, gently spiced and full of ginger.
Like most braises, it is better the day after it is made.
Method
- Pound or blend the paste ingredients until smooth.
- In a bowl, mix the pork with the curry paste, hang lay powder and dark soy sauce. Cover and marinate for at least 1 hour, or overnight in the fridge.
- Heat the oil in a heavy pot over medium heat. Add the marinated pork and fry, stirring, for 8–10 minutes until the paste is fragrant and the pork is lightly browned.
- Add enough water to just cover the pork, about 800 ml. Bring to a boil, then lower the heat, cover and simmer gently for 1½ hours, stirring now and then, until the pork is very tender.
- Add the ginger, pickled garlic and its liquid, peanuts, tamarind and palm sugar. Simmer uncovered for another 20–30 minutes until the sauce is thick and glossy and coats the pork.
- Season with fish sauce. Taste: it should be sweet and sour first, then savoury, with warmth from the ginger and spices. Adjust and serve with sticky rice.
Cook’s tips
- Pickled garlic is sold in jars in Thai grocers. If you cannot find it, add 6 whole peeled garlic cloves with the water and a splash of rice vinegar at the end.
- Make it a day ahead. Chill it, lift off some of the fat that sets on top, and reheat gently.
Aroy Mak Mak
Aroy Mak Mak is a small team writing about the food of Thailand and its neighbours: recipes you can cook at home, guides to the ingredients behind them, and places worth travelling for. The name means "very delicious" in Thai. Every recipe on the site lists its ingredients, timings and method in full, explains the techniques that matter, and suggests substitutes for ingredients that are hard to find outside Thailand. The guides to regions, condiments, vegetables and fruits explain what things are, how they are used and how to buy and store them. Place pages are researched from current sources, including the latest Michelin Guide Thailand, official websites and maps, and give addresses, opening hours and what to order. Where a detail could not be confirmed, it is left out rather than guessed.