This recipe comes all the way from India through the northern Burmese border. The masala spice mix is still sold in small packages with retro-looking prints that seem to forever exist.
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There is no way in a recipe to communicate what’s going on in here; a thick red chili paste marinates, that bursts in orange turmeric color, provides the perfect seen to the tender, almost falling apart, pork meat.
If you like curries with the thickness and complexity of the Massaman Curry, you will enjoy this salty, sweet, and sour dish.
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Ingredients
- 500 g pork meat (เนื้อหมู) shoulder or collar, cut into 3cm (1.5″) cubes
- 500 g pork belly (เนื้อหมูสามชั้น) cut into 3cm (1.5″) cubes
- 1 tablespoon dark soy sauce (ซีอิ้วดํา)
- 1 tablespoon Hang Lay curry spice mix (ผงฮังเล)
- 25 shallots (หอมแดง) peeled and cut into halves
- 3 cups ginger (ขิง) peeled and cut into julienne
- 4 pickled garlic (กระเทียมดอง)
- 1 cup pickled garlic brine (น้ำกระเทียมดอง)
- 1/2 cup unsalted roasted shelled peanuts (ถั่วลิสงคั่ว)
- 2 cups water (น้ำเปล่า)
- 2 tablespoon neutral tasting cooking oil (น้ำมันพืช)
Season with
- 3 parts tamarind paste (น้ำมะขามเปียก)
- 4 parts fish sauce (น้ำปลา)
- 3 parts palm sugar (น้ำตาลมะพร้าว)
Hang Lay Curry paste Ingredients
- 8-10 pieces dried red long chili (phrik chee fa) (พริกชี้ฟ้าแห้ง)
- 1/2 teaspoon sea salt (เกลือทะเล)
- 3 tablespoons lemongrass (ตะไคร้)
- 1 1/2 tablespoons galangal (ข่า) finely chopped
- 2/3 cup shallots (หอมแดง) finely chopped
- 1/2 cup Chinese garlic (กระเทียมจีน) finely chopped
- 1 tablespoon fresh turmeric (ขมิ้นชัน) finely chopped
- 1 tablespoon fermented shrimp paste (kapi)(กะปิย่างไฟ)
- 1 teaspoon Hang Lay curry spice mix (ผงฮังเล)
Instructions
Prepare the curry paste
- Clean, peel, chop and prepare all the ingredients for the curry paste.
- Soak the chilies in water until soft.
- In a mortar and pestle, start pounding the chilies with salt as an abrasive.
- Add lemongrass and pound it finely.
- Add galangal and pound it finely.
- Add shallots, garlic and fresh turmeric, and pound everything to a fine paste.
- Add hang lay masala spice mix.
- Add gabpi and mix well. Set aside.
Prepare the curry
- In a bowl mix the pork, the curry paste and thick dark soy sauce.
- Let the pork mixture to marinate for at least 1 hour.
- Heat oil in a pan.
- Fry the pork mixture on low heat until the fat renders out.
- Add shallots and ginger and mix well.
- Add pickled garlic and its brine.
- Add roasted peanuts.
- Add hang lay masala spice mix.
- Mix everything well together
- Season with tamarind paste, fish sauce and palm sugar.
- Add water to cover.
- Simmer on low heat for about 1 hour until pork is soft and sauce is thick.
- Serve.
Rice Seasoned with Young Tamarind Relish, Sweetened Fish and Pickled Morning Glory (ข้าวคลุกน้ำพริกมะขามอ่อน ผักบุ้งดอง ปลาแห้งผัดหวาน และ ปลาดุกย่าง; Khaao Khlook Naam Phrik Makhaam Aawn Phakboong Daawng Bplaa Haaeng Phat Waan Lae Bplaa Dook Yaang)
Seasoned rice dishes have been a staple of rice-consuming societies almost since the first grains were cultivated. Adapted according to local resources, traditions and individual preferences, seasoned rice dishes are relished and savored across all walks of life. Within Siamese society, these dishes offer insight into the flavor instincts and eating habits across all demographics, revealing which food items were locally available and valued.
In this delicious seasoned rice recipe from the kitchens of the daughter of King Chulalongkorn, Princess Yaovabha Bongsanid (พระเจ้าบรมวงศ์เธอ พระองค์เจ้าเยาวภาพงศ์สนิท) (1884-1934), the Princess uses a variety of common preserved and inexpensive ingredients, clearly drawing inspiration from the cuisine of the Central Plains with nods to the rural and coastal living atmosphere.
Perfumed Muslim-style Curry of Fresh Chilies with Beef (แกงเขียวหวานเนื้อทรงเครื่อง; Gaaeng Khiaao Waan Neuua Sohng Khreuuang)
The Indian and Muslim cuisines present distinct approaches to using dried spices in curries, both of which influence Siamese cuisine in different ways. Indian-inspired Siamese curries spotlight chilies for their vibrant color, fragrance, flavor and heat, while spices like cumin and coriander play a supporting role. The spices complement and temper the chilies’ intensity, creating a rounded, multi-layered flavor profile; nonetheless, the chilies remain the star ingredient, gently complemented by the spices.
Conversely, Muslim-influenced curries, such as massaman curry, prioritize spices over chilies. Spices like cardamom, nutmeg and mace take center stage, while the chilies provide subtle background heat rather than being the primary flavor. In these curries, the focus is on the rich, warm and complex aromas created by the blend of spices, which is a defining characteristic of many Muslim dishes.
Moreover, Siamese cuisine favors using rehydrated dried chilies in curries for their depth; this depth is highly appreciated, along with the complexity, and comparatively milder heat of the rehydrated dried chilies. As well, the harsh grassy notes of fresh chilies are not favored; they’re referred to in Thai as “green rank” or “men khiaao (เหม็นเขียว)”. Muslim curries often use fresh green chilies, tempering their vibrant, grassy taste with dry spices and thus shifting the flavor from bright and fresh to more subdued and earthy tones, resulting in a dish that is perceived to be layered, despite the burst of fresh chilies.
Curry of yellow chilies with whole quail, fresh turmeric and lemon basil (แกงเผ็ดนกกระทาพริกเหลืองสด; gaaeng phet nohk grathaa phrik leuuang soht)
Salty leading and sour-sweet to follow, this coconut-based gaaeng phet spicy curry might be made of chilies, but it is fruitier than it is spicy, and lighter than it is dense. Originally cooked with the meat of game birds, it retains a surprisingly light body that opens space for the birds to fly. The curry is tinted golden orange from a paste imbued with fresh yellow chilies and turmeric; it is perfumed with lemongrass and lemon basil leaves.
Khanohm Jeen Naam Ngiaao – Shan-Style Tomato Broth over Fermented Rice Noodles with Pork, Chicken Feet and Chicken Blood Cakes (ขนมจีนน้ำเงี้ยว)
A popular noodle dish originating from the Northern region of the Kingdom, khanohm jeen naam ngiaao (ขนมจีนน้ำเงี้ยว) is characterized by its light – yet profound – multi-layered broth. This hearty broth includes an assortment of proteins braised with the dried pollens of cotton tree flowers, and Northern Thai sour cherry tomatoes (มะเขือส้ม); the tomatoes infuse the broth with a subtle tartness that refreshes a full-bodied profile comprising a multitude of fermented ingredients.
The naam ngiaao broth is served over fermented rice noodles and features minced pork, and braised baby back pork ribs with their tender meat clinging to the bone. As well, there are succulent, slow-cooked whole chicken feet, and cubes of slightly bouncy, mauve-hued chicken blood cakes. Served alongside the soup are various toppings, which can include shredded cabbage, bean sprouts, chopped coriander leaves, and spring onions, while dark red chili oil and glossy, charred-fried dried bird’s eye chilies offer a fiery intensity dialed up to your preferred spiciness. In addition, I like to add wok-smoked sour cherry tomatoes and broom-like, crispy-fried dried cotton tree pollen for a surprising textural contrast.
Though the dish is often described as “Shan style”, the word ‘ngiao’ was a derogatory expression for the Shan people. As the disparaging – and outdated – label suggests, the recipe might reflect societal biases and prejudices; thus, at least from the culinary perspective, the ‘ngiao’ in the name of the dish may simply be a nod to the flavors or ingredients favored by The Shan, rather than a claim of authenticity – which could also explain why the dish is based on a Siamese curry paste.
c1937 Shrimp and tomato curry (แกงกุ้งกับมะเขือเทศ คู่มือการครัว นางสาวฉลวย กันตวรรณี พ.ศ. 2480; gaaeng goong gap makheuua thaeht)
Stocked with a contemporary brew of umami-rich ingredients, this ancient, bright and slightly sour coconut-based shrimp and tomato curry demonstrates how simple – yet clever – flavor-layering techniques can spotlight the shrimp and the spectacular savory tomatoes over the curry background.
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