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Gaeng hang lay
Pork belly curry
แกงฮังเล (kaeng hang le) — Northern Thai Burmese-style pork belly curry with ginger and tamarind
Brought to Lampang and Chiang Mai by Burmese teak traders in the 1800s, this coconut-free curry is now the dish Northern families cook for temple fairs, weddings and Songkran, often a day ahead in a big pot. Chunks of pork belly and shoulder braise slowly until they almost fall apart in a dark, glossy sauce that tastes of ginger, garlic and warm spices, sharpened with tamarind and rounded with palm sugar. It should be thick enough to cling to the meat rather than soupy. Serve it with steamed jasmine or sticky rice and a crisp cucumber salad. Chef's tip: make it the day before; overnight in the fridge the flavours settle and the fat sets on top so you can lift some off before reheating.
- Total time
- 120 min
- Difficulty
- medium
- Serves
- 6
Ingredients
For the paste
- 6 dried long red chilliesseeds removed, soaked in hot water for 15 minutes
- 2 stalks lemongrassthinly sliced
- ½ oz galangalthinly sliced
- 5 shallotsroughly chopped
- 8 cloves garlicpeeled
- 1 tsp shrimp paste
- ½ tsp salt
For the spice mix
- 1 tsp ground coriander
- ½ tsp ground cumin
- 1 tsp ground turmeric
- ¼ tsp ground cinnamon
- 1 tsp mild chilli powder
For the curry
- 1 ⅓ lb pork bellyskin on or off, cut into 4 cm chunks
- 14 oz pork shouldercut into 4 cm chunks
- 1 tbsp vegetable oil
- 3 ¼ cups water
- 2 ⅛ oz fresh gingerpeeled and cut into thin matchsticks
- 10 cloves garlicpeeled, left whole
- 3 tbsp tamarind pasteseedless
- 2 tbsp palm sugargrated
- 2 tbsp fish sauce
To serve
- 1 ¾ oz roasted peanuts (optional)
- 2 tbsp pickled garlic (optional)sliced
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Method
0/7 doneStep 1: Drain the 6 dried long red chillies and pound them with the ½ tsp salt, then add 2 stalks lemongrass, ½ oz galangal, 5 shallots, 8 cloves garlic and 1 tsp shrimp paste and pound (or blend with a splash of water) to a smooth paste.
Step 2: On a board kept for raw meat, toss 1 ⅓ lb pork belly and 14 oz pork shoulder with the paste, 1 tsp ground coriander, ½ tsp ground cumin, 1 tsp ground turmeric, ¼ tsp ground cinnamon and 1 tsp mild chilli powder in a bowl. Cover and marinate in the fridge for at least 30 minutes, or overnight.
30 minStep 3: Heat 1 tbsp vegetable oil in a heavy pot over a medium-high heat and add the pork with all its marinade. Stir and fry for 6–8 minutes until the meat has lost its raw colour and the paste smells toasted and starts to catch.
8 minStep 4: Pour in 3 ¼ cups water, scrape up the base and bring to a boil. Turn the heat to low, cover and simmer very gently for 1 hour. Don't let it boil hard: a rolling boil makes the meat tough and the sauce cloudy.
60 minStep 5: Add 2 ⅛ oz fresh ginger, 10 cloves garlic, 3 tbsp tamarind paste, 2 tbsp palm sugar and 2 tbsp fish sauce. Simmer uncovered for 30 minutes more, stirring now and then, until the pork is fork-tender (well past the safe 145°F / 145 °F) and the sauce has reduced to a thick, glossy gravy.
30 minStep 6: Taste and balance: it should be rich and savoury, with sourness and sweetness in step. Add a little more tamarind or sugar if needed. If the sauce is still thin, boil it uncovered for a few minutes.
Step 7: Rest off the heat for 10 minutes, skim off some of the fat, then scatter with peanuts and pickled garlic and serve with rice.
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 520 kcal
- Protein
- 28 g
- Carbs
- 14 g
- Fat
- 39 g
- Fibre
- 2 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does gaeng hang lay take?
- About 120 minutes in total: 20 minutes to prepare and 100 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 6 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- Is it gluten free?
- Yes, as written. Check the labels on stock, sauces and spice mixes, which sometimes contain gluten.
- What can I use instead of shallots?
- Half an onion per 2 shallots.
- What can I use instead of garlic?
- ½ tsp garlic paste or ⅛ tsp garlic powder per clove.
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