AI-generated image
Burmese pork curry
Wet thar hin (ဝက်သားဟင်း): slow-cooked pork with garlic, ginger and onion in brick-red oil
Glistening under a layer of brick-red oil, pork curry sits at the front of every Yangon htamin zain, the rice-and-curry shops where office workers queue at lunchtime and point at pots. Chunks of pork belly and shoulder are cooked very slowly in a paste of onion, garlic and ginger until the meat is spoon-tender, the fat has melted into the sauce and the oil floats free on top. It tastes savoury and gently sweet rather than fiery, and arrives with plain rice, a sour leaf soup, boiled vegetables and a dish of fish-paste dip. People often fry the onion paste too fast; it scorches before the water has cooked out and the curry turns bitter, so keep the heat at a steady medium. Chef's tip: the curry tastes even better the next day, when the pork has soaked up the sauce; lift off a little of the oil before reheating if you prefer it leaner.
- Total time
- 120 min
- Difficulty
- medium
- Serves
- 6
Ingredients
For the pork
- 1 ⅓ lb boneless pork shouldercut into 3 cm chunks
- 14 oz skinless pork bellycut into 3 cm chunks
- 2 tbsp fish sauce
- ½ tsp ground turmeric
- ½ tsp salt
For the curry paste
- 3 onionsroughly chopped
- 1 ⅜ oz fresh gingerpeeled and sliced
For the curry
- ½ cup vegetable oil
- 2 tsp sweet paprika
- ½ tsp chilli powderup to 1 tsp for more heat
- 1 tsp shrimp paste
- 1 lemongrass stalkbruised
- 2 cups water
- 1 tsp sugar
To serve
- 1 handful fresh coriander (optional)chopped
- 6 portions steamed jasmine rice (optional)
Shop this recipe on Amazon
What you'll need
Spices & pantry
Fresh ingredients (5)
Links open Amazon in a new tab. As an Amazon Associate, WhatToEat.Today earns from qualifying purchases.
Method
0/10 doneStep 1: Toss 1 ⅓ lb boneless pork shoulder and 14 oz skinless pork belly with 2 tbsp fish sauce, ½ tsp ground turmeric and ½ tsp salt. Cover and leave in the fridge for 30 minutes while you make the paste.
30 minStep 2: Blend 3 onions, 10 garlic cloves and 1 ⅜ oz fresh ginger to a coarse paste with a splash of water. Don't make it completely smooth; a little texture helps it fry evenly.
Step 3: Heat ½ cup vegetable oil in a heavy pot over a medium heat. Add 2 tsp sweet paprika and ½ tsp chilli powder and stir for 10–15 seconds, just until the oil turns red; any longer and they burn.
Step 4: Add the paste at once, stand back as it spits, and fry for 12–15 minutes, stirring every minute or so, until the water has cooked off, the paste has darkened to a deep amber and smells sweet rather than raw.
15 minStep 5: Stir in 1 tsp shrimp paste and mash it into the paste for 1 minute, until it melts and the smell mellows.
1 minStep 6: Add the pork and 1 lemongrass stalk and turn up the heat to medium-high. Fry for 8–10 minutes, turning often, until the pork is sealed on all sides and coated in the paste.
10 minStep 7: Pour in 2 cups water, add 1 tsp sugar and bring to the boil. Cover, turn the heat to low and simmer for 60–75 minutes, stirring every 15 minutes and adding a splash of water if it catches, until the pork is tender enough to cut with a spoon.
75 minStep 8: Take off the lid and simmer over a medium-low heat for 10–15 minutes, until the sauce has thickened and a layer of clear red oil sits on top. That is how you know the curry is done. The pork must reach at least 160°F, which it will long before it is this tender.
15 minStep 9: Remove the lemongrass, taste and add a little more fish sauce if needed. Rest for 10 minutes off the heat.
Step 10: Serve with 6 portions steamed jasmine rice and scatter with 1 handful fresh coriander.
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 560 kcal
- Protein
- 32 g
- Carbs
- 8 g
- Fat
- 45 g
- Fibre
- 2 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does burmese pork curry 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.
- Can I make it ahead?
- Yes. It keeps well, so you can cook it earlier in the day or the day before and reheat it.
- What can I use instead of fish sauce?
- Soy sauce with a squeeze of lime (vegetarian).
- What can I use instead of ground turmeric?
- Leave it out (it mostly adds colour).
Reviews
No reviews yet. Be the first to cook it.
Rate this recipe
Sign in to rate and review this recipe.
You might also like
Sayur lodeh
Sayur lodeh is everyday cooking in Central Java, made in big pots in Solo and Semarang kitchens and ladled over rice, with lontong rice cakes at Lebaran, or alongside opor and sambal goreng on festive tables. It's soupy rather than thick: a fragrant broth of coconut milk, galangal, lemongrass and lime leaf that carries chunks of aubergine, long beans, chayote and sweetcorn, plus tempeh and tofu to make it a meal. The flavour is mellow and slightly sweet, so the heat comes from sambal on the side. Chef's tip: keep the pot at a gentle simmer once the coconut milk goes in and stir now and then — a rolling boil splits the coconut milk into oily curds.
Indonesian
Polos curry
Polos is the tiny unripe jackfruit picked in the Western and Sabaragamuwa provinces long before it sweetens, and cooked low and slow it becomes one of the island's most loved festival curries, especially at Sinhala and Tamil New Year in April and at wedding lunches. The firm, pale flesh soaks up a very dark roasted curry powder, garlic, ginger, goraka (a smoky souring fruit) and coconut milk until it turns almost black-brown and tastes rich, sour and meaty. Fresh polos is hard to find abroad; tinned young green jackfruit in brine works well. A frequent mistake is not cooking it long enough, which leaves it squeaky; the pieces must be soft enough to break with a spoon. Chef's tip: oil your hands and knife before cutting fresh jackfruit; the sticky white sap washes off oiled skin but not dry skin.
Sri Lankan
Bagara baingan
Bagara baingan is a Hyderabadi wedding dish of small aubergines cooked whole in a dark, tangy gravy of roasted peanuts, sesame, dried coconut and tamarind. Unlike a Gujarati stuffed brinjal, the aubergines here are only quartered at the base and fried until silky, then left to soak up a thin-but-rich sauce that is finished with a tempering, the 'baghar' that gives the dish its name. It's sour, nutty and gently spiced, and is served with biryani, bagara rice or plain rice. Chef's tip: choose small, glossy purple aubergines that feel heavy for their size; soft, light ones are full of seeds and turn mushy before the gravy has a chance to cling.
Indian