Thai Pork Yellow Curry
Some dishes are exciting. This one is comforting, and I mean that as the highest compliment. My mother made yellow curry with pork and it was always the dish the day called for when it needed something warm and completely satisfying. Rich coconut milk, tender pork, soft potatoes, the warm spice of the yellow curry paste throughout. I did not have to grow into this one. It made sense from the very beginning. Make this on a day when you want the house to smell wonderful and the table to feel like somewhere worth sitting down. You will not be disappointed.
Ingredients
- 1 lb pork shoulder cut into bite-sized pieces
- 1 can 14 oz coconut milk
- 2 tbsp yellow curry paste
- 1 onion sliced
- 2 potatoes peeled and cubed
- 1 carrot sliced
- 1 red bell pepper sliced
- 1 tbsp fish sauce
- 1 tbsp brown sugar
- 1 cup chicken broth
- Fresh cilantro for garnish
- Lime wedges for serving
Instructions
- Prepare the Curry: In a large pot over medium heat, combine coconut milk and yellow curry paste. Stir until well combined and bring to a gentle simmer.
- Add Ingredients: Add pork, onion, potatoes, carrot, and bell pepper to the pot. Stir to coat the pork and vegetables with the curry sauce.
- Simmer: Pour in chicken broth, fish sauce, and brown sugar. Stir well. Reduce heat to low and simmer uncovered for 30-40 minutes or until pork is tender and vegetables are cooked.
- Finish and Serve: Adjust seasoning with more fish sauce or sugar if needed. Serve hot, garnished with fresh cilantro and lime wedges.
Video
Notes
Do not shake the coconut milk cans, and I promise this one small thing makes a real difference. The thick cream off the top is what fries the paste and gives the curry its body and richness. Spoon it off, keep it separate, and you are already doing this right.
Once the paste is fried and fragrant, pour in the remaining coconut milk and let it simmer together for two to three minutes. By the time the pork goes in, the broth is already golden and warm and doing exactly what you want it to do.
The pork simmers for fifteen minutes before the potatoes and remaining ingredients join the pot. This is the order that makes everything finish together perfectly, the pork tender and the potatoes soft, both of them fully flavored all the way through.
Give the potatoes their full thirty minutes. Press one with a spoon before you plate and it should give completely with no resistance. If it pushes back even a little, five more minutes will take care of it. Good things are worth the wait.
This curry improves overnight, which means leftovers are something to look forward to. If you make it the day before, you can refrigerate, and reheat gently with fresh Thai basil stirred in. The second bowl is always better than the first, and the first bowl is already wonderful.
Nutrition
Serving: 1cupCalories: 450kcalCarbohydrates: 20gProtein: 25gFat: 32gSaturated Fat: 24gPolyunsaturated Fat: 6gCholesterol: 75mgSodium: 780mgFiber: 3gSugar: 8g
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