Potato Pork Curry Recipe
Here is a delicious, rich and thick Potato Pork Curry recipe left by my late mother-in-law. The curry paste is made from scratch – all the herbs are blended and the number of chillies included was adjusted according to preference.
Each potato was smooth and tender, while each rib was flavourful and fall-off-the-bone. Although the cooking time is just shy of 3 hours, this dish is worth it as it can be kept and frozen to be enjoyed in the future. Unlike some dishes which need to be consumed as soon as possible, this pork curry’s taste matures over time, and it needs a minimum of 2-3 hours of resting time for the best taste.
I like to make batches of this Potato Pork Curry and freeze them for days when I have limited time to cook. It’s best enjoyed with fluffy white rice and, if time allows, some Caramelized Onion Omelette.
Enjoy! This recipe serves 8-12 adults and can be scaled up or down according to your preference.
Ingredients
Pork ribs – marinated with salt and pepper, and then braised for close to 2 hours for a super tender, fall-of-the-bone texture. Each piece is cut into smaller pieces for faster cooking, but you can use bigger cuts. Just make sure to adjust the cooking time accordingly.
Salt and pepper, to taste.
Potatoes – use Holland potatoes for the best results. They are less starchy than Russet potatoes, and can hold their shape even after long cooking hours.
Shallots – the bulk of the curry paste. Use Rose shallots for the best results. They add a wonderful fragrance and natural sweetness to the gravy.
Chilli paste, of which I used my own homemade version. It is not very spicy and is made of mainly guajillo chillies for the bright red colour.
Turmeric, for a herbal taste and bright yellow colour. It stains the blender though, so I tend to use a different blender than the ones made for smoothies and drinks.
Garlic for its allicin compound.
Candlenut adds a creaminess to the curry paste.
Shrimp paste, also known as “belacan”. My mother-in-law would usually toast it over the fire stovetop for a more fragrant curry paste and let it cool slightly before grinding all the curry paste ingredients together.
Tamarind water, or concentrated tamarind juice adds a tanginess that balances the sweet, salty and rich potato gravy.
Palm sugar, for an added smokey sweet flavour to balance out the spiciness of the chillies.
Fresh red chillies. These are not red bird’s eye chillies, so they are milder in spice and add a little heat and colour. This way, even children can enjoy the Potato Pork Curry.
Water, to make it easier to blend the curry paste, and to add gravy to the curry. However, most of the savouriness of the curry comes from the juices released by the ribs… Yum!
Cooking oil, to cook the curry paste until thick, rich and super fragrant. The water released by the shallots, herbs and water added to aid blending should be removed completely via steam, to maximise the flavours of the herbs and juices released by the ribs. However, do not wait until the oil is hot before adding the curry paste; as it contains lots of moisture, the hot oil will splatter violently. Add the paste while the oil is still cool/ at room temperature, and stir continuously to reduce large and sudden hot splattering.
Steps
Here are the brief steps to make this Potato Pork Curry recipe:
- Marinate the pork ribs.
- Make the curry paste.
- Reduce the curry paste in the frying pan.
- Add the pork ribs and potatoes.
- Braise them for 1.5 hours, turning often.
- Taste and adjust.
- Let it rest for 2-3 hours, or overnight.
- Enjoy!
Tips
- Marinating the ribs in two batches helps to spread the salt evenly.
- I blended my curry paste in 2 parts as my blender is quite small. It also required additional water (200ml) for easier blending. However, all the ingredients can be blended together if the blender is powerful enough. The amount of water can also be reduced accordingly.
- Adding curry paste while the oil is still cool prevents a large, sudden oil splash. The curry paste has a lot of moisture, which will react violently with hot oil.
- Stirring the curry paste continuously reduces the frequency of splattering, and prevents the bottom of the paste from getting burnt.
- Make sure to watch the full video to see how I made it exactly!
Storage Instructions
Once the heat is switched off, it’s best to let this Potato Pork Curry rest for a few hours while cooling down for the flavour to seep in. I usually let it rest on the stovetop for an afternoon and will only serve it in the evening.
When the Potato Pork Curry has cooled completely, I recommend portioning it out into several air-tight containers. They can last for up to 5 days in the fridge and about a month in the freezer. Be sure to reheat thoroughly (until the gravy is boiling, stirring often) before enjoying it.
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Potato Pork Curry Recipe
Equipment
- Sharp Kitchen Knife
- Chopping Board
- Kitchen Shears
- Stainless Steel Pan
- Turner
Ingredients
- 1.5 kg pork ribs, washed and cleaned
- 3/4 tbsp salt
- 150 ml cooking oil
- 900 g potatoes, peeled, cut and washed
Curry Paste
- 4 candlenut
- 25 g ginger, peeled
- 20 g turmeric, with the skin left on
- 50 g red chilli, fresh
- 60 g garlic, peeled
- 200 ml water, for easy blending
- 40 g shrimp paste, belacan, optionally toasted
- 220 g shallot, peeled and washed
- 200 g chilli paste, homemade
Curry Gravy
- 65 g palm sugar
- 100 ml tamarind water, concentrated
- 1/4 tbsp salt, optional, to taste
- 600 ml water
Instructions
- Marinate the pork ribs evenly with 3/4 tbsp salt in two batches. Set it aside.
- Blend the candlenuts, ginger, turmeric, fresh chillies, garlic, shrimp paste, chilli paste and water together until fine and even in colour.
- In a stainless steel pan over medium heat, add all the cooking oil. While the oil is still cold, add the blended curry paste, scraping all of it into the pan. Stir until well-combined, for about 30 seconds, before adding palm sugar and concentrated tamarind water. Continuously stir until the gravy has thickened significantly, for about 20 minutes.
- After 20 minutes, add the marinated pork ribs to the pan. Stir them into the curry paste, coating them generously.
- Top the ribs with the potatoes. Cover the pan and braise for 10 minutes.
- After 10 minutes, turn the pork ribs and coat the potatoes with the curry paste. Cover the pan and let it braise for another 20 minutes. Make sure to turn the ribs and potatoes every 5 minutes or so.
- After 20 minutes, the juices from the ribs and potatoes have been released into the pan. Add 600ml of water for added gravy. Stir to combine, and cover the pan. Braise them for about 1 hour, turning the ribs occasionally.
- After 1 hour, test the tenderness of the potatoes and ribs. If they can be easily pierced with a fork, they are ready.
- Taste and adjust as preferred.
- Switch off the heat. Let the Potato Pork Curry rest in the pan for 2-3 hours, or overnight, for the flavours to seep into the meat.
Notes
- Marinating the ribs in two batches helps to spread the salt evenly.
- I blended my curry paste in 2 parts as my blender is quite small. It also required additional water (200ml) for easier blending. However, all the ingredients can be blended together if the blender is powerful enough. The amount of water can also be reduced accordingly.
- Adding curry paste while the oil is still cool prevents a large, sudden oil splash. The curry paste has a lot of moisture, which will react violently with hot oil.
- Stirring the curry paste continuously reduces the frequency of splattering, and prevents the bottom of the paste from getting burnt.
- Make sure to watch the video to see exactly how I made it!