Burmese Pork Curry
If you've got pork shoulder, cut into chunks, dried red chillies and fresh galangal, you're most of the way to this pork: about 75 minutes of cooking across 7 steps. You'll find the full ingredient list (with a scaler to change the servings), 7 steps of method, substitutions, and ideas for what to serve alongside.
You'll mainly reach for frying pan / skillet and large pot. At medium difficulty across 7 steps, it's manageable with a little attention.
What you'll need
Shopping list (6)
Pantry staples (you likely have these)
π Unit converter
How to make it
- Soak the dried red chillies in hot water for 10 minutes, then drain and blend them with the onion, garlic, ginger, galangal, the tender base of one lemongrass stalk, shrimp paste, and turmeric into a smooth paste, adding a splash of water if needed.
- Heat the vegetable oil in a heavy pot over medium heat and fry the spice paste, stirring constantly, for 8 to 10 minutes until it darkens and the oil separates and smells fragrant.
- Stir in the paprika, then add the pork chunks and turn them to coat thoroughly in the paste, searing for about 5 minutes.
- Pour in the water, add the bruised remaining lemongrass stalk, the brown sugar, and the fish sauce, and bring to a boil.
- Reduce the heat to low, cover, and simmer gently for about 1 hour, stirring occasionally, until the pork is fork-tender and reaches at least 71 C (160 F).
- Uncover and simmer for a final 10 to 15 minutes to reduce the sauce to a thick, oily gravy that clings to the meat.
- Taste and adjust with salt or a little more sugar, remove the lemongrass stalk, and serve hot with steamed rice.
You'll use: Frying pan / skillet Β· Large pot Β· Saucepan Β· Blender Β· Steamer
Ingredient substitutions
- Lemon
- lime Β· 1 tbsp white wine vinegar per lemon
- Brown Sugar
- white sugar + 1 tbsp molasses per cup
- Fish Sauce
- soy sauce + a pinch of salt
Tips & common questions
How long does Burmese Pork Curry take to make?
About 75 minutes from start to finish β an estimate based on the 7 steps and 15 ingredients. Times vary with your kitchen and how much prep you do ahead.
What can I use instead of lemon?
Try lime. See the substitutions section above for more swaps.
Can I scale this recipe up or down?
Yes β use the servings control above the ingredients and every quantity rescales automatically (fractions included). Cooking times stay roughly the same; very large batches may need a little longer.
How should I store leftovers?
Cool leftovers quickly, refrigerate in an airtight container, and eat within 3 days. Reheat until piping hot throughout.
Related recipes
Burmese Pork Curry is an original recipe developed in-house by Consomee. Photo: Kaeng hangle.jpg by Takeaway, CC BY-SA 3.0 via Wikimedia Commons. We add the serving scaler, ingredient tools, timing and structure on top β how we source recipes.