In TCM pork is not a red meat and it is deemed good for ailments. I don’t eat it often, but it is almost unavoidable in Chinese, Indonesian and Malay restaurants, so I eat when the recipe is delicious – like this one – and crispy pork belly for example, or Thai dishes with minced pork and seafood, a classic mixture. I love this mixture of sour/sweet; and I am looking forward to my visit to Burma this coming November, so am trying out a few dishes! Ross doesn’t like bamboo shoots so I substitute bean sprouts – home-grown of course.
Burmese pork and mango curry
330 g/12 oz pork fillet or boneless chops, cut into bite-size pieces
1 tbsp fish sauce
1 tbsp lime juice
2 tbsp coconut oil
3 shallots, finely sliced
1/2 unripe mango, cut into julienne strips
1/2 tbsp tamarind water or paste
salt and pepper
7 oz bamboo shoots or good handful of bean sprouts
Paste
2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
1/2 tsp shrimp paste
1 tbsp grated fresh ginger
1-2 chillies, deseeded & finely chopped (I keep the seeds!)
Marinate the pork in a mixture of the lime juice and fish sauce for 30 minutes.
Make the paste by crushing in a pestle and mortar (pretty easy as all ingredients are soft) or whizz in a small food processor.
Heat the oil in a wok and stir fry the pork until it is well browned – 3-5 minutes depending on cut. Set aside.
Add more oil if not enough, and then stir fry shallots for 2 minutes over moderate heat. Reduce heat and add the paste and stir fry for 2-3 minutes until aromatic. Add 150ml (5 fl oz) water, simmer and bring to the boil. Put the pork back in the pan with the the mango and tamarind water/paste and simmer for 10 minutes until the pork is really soft. Add the bean sprouts/bamboo shoots and cook for another couple of minutes.
Serve with rice, green veg or pomelo salad.
healthy living with cancer 