Red Curry with Pork Belly and Water Spinach | Gang Tay Po | แกงเทโพ
This distinctive red curry with pork belly and water spinach features the refreshing, citrusy flavor of kaffir lime. It is as rich and spicy as it is sour and refreshing.
Scoop the top ⅓ cup from a can of coconut milk to obtain the thicker coconut cream portion. Heat the coconut cream over medium to medium-high heat in a wok until it starts to separate into its oil and milk layers.
Add the red curry paste, stir to incorporate into the coconut cream, and then let it fry until a sheen of oil can be seen on top, being careful not to let it burn.
Add the pork belly slices, coat them in the curry paste, and allow to cook for 1-2 minutes. Then add the remaining thinner part of the coconut milk as well as 1 cup of water and bring to a gentle boil.
Allow the pork belly to cook, uncovered, until it is very tender. This should take at least 1 hour and up to 2-3 hours, depending on your heat and the size of your pork belly slices. During this process, additional water may be necessary to ensure that the pork belly is covered in liquid.
Once the pork belly is cooked through, season the curry with tamarind paste, fish sauce, and palm sugar. Taste the curry and adjust these seasonings according to which brand of curry paste you used and your personal taste preferences.
Add the water spinach, kaffir lime leaves, and halved fresh kaffir lime. If you enjoy kaffir lime flavor as much as I do, feel free to squeeze a bit of the juice into the curry for more pronounced flavor. Allow the curry to cook for a few minutes more, just until the water spinach is done. Serve immediately over jasmine rice.