This Candy and Bitter Curry Is Iconic in Northern Thailand

I grew up within the hustle and bustle of Bangkok. Household holidays to Chiang Mai, the cultural and historic capital of the north, had been a particular deal with my household bought to take pleasure in each few years. Visiting Chiang Mai felt—and nonetheless feels—nearly like going to a different nation or entering into a distinct time: The town is surrounded by mountains and luxurious greenery, with a 700-year-old moat enclosing a tightly woven tapestry of bustling streets. My household and I might pack ourselves into the automotive, and my dad would drive 500 miles to our vacation spot. These street journeys had been the final word train in delayed gratification—my persistence was all the time rewarded with a selection of northern Thai dishes, together with sai ua (grilled spiced sausages), nam prik ong (tomato and pork relish), and gaeng hunglae.   

Gaeng hunglae (แกงฮังเล) is one in every of northern Thailand’s most iconic dishes. Chunks of tender pork are gently braised in a candy and bitter curry seasoned with palm sugar, tamarind paste, and hunglae powder, a regional variation on garam masala. The dish is a labor of affection: Gaeng hunglae takes about 5 hours to make, and since it options pork, a luxurious on this a part of Thailand, hunglae is taken into account a special day dish. It’s mostly ready throughout Songkran (Thai new 12 months celebrations) and Buddhist festivals; it’s additionally served to monks throughout non secular ceremonies as a logo of devotion, and to honored company and guests as a logo of northern hospitality. 

Whereas most Thais now contemplate gaeng hunglae a quintessentially northern Thai dish, hunglae reportedly originated in Myanmar, previously Burma. Burma conquered the area from the Kingdom of Lan Na in 1558 and, although the Kingdom of Siam (now Thailand) wrested energy in 1774, the Burmese affect can nonetheless be felt in Chiang Mai’s structure, tradition, and meals. Actually, gaeng hunglae bears a better resemblance to Burmese stews than it does to any central Thai curry: It doesn’t comprise coconut milk, a typical central Thai ingredient, and it depends extra closely on dried spices—reasonably than contemporary—for taste. The time period “hunglae” is derived from the Burmese phrases ဟင်း (hainn) for curry and လေး (lay) for meat. 

There are two primary regional variations of hunglae in Thailand: The Chiangsaen model (named after its area of origin, a city in Chiang Rai province bordering Myanmar and Laos), which comprises seasonal greens like eggplant, lengthy beans, and bamboo shoots, and the Maan model (“Maan” is an outdated northern Thai time period for Burmese), which is essentially the most generally eaten model in Chiang Mai and the recipe that I’m sharing beneath.

First rate gaeng hunglae could be troublesome to find outdoors of northern Thailand. Even now, with the proliferation of Thai eating places serving up regional specialties around the globe, gaeng hunglae is commonly eclipsed by its extra common compatriot khao soi, a northern Thai coconut curry noodle soup. Although gaeng hunglae is extra subdued, it’s no much less compelling than its noodle cousin—and it’s my favourite dish to cook dinner for associates, particularly those that’ve had restricted experiences with Thai meals past the standard takeout classics like pad Thai and inexperienced curry.

The Constructing Blocks of Nice Gaeng Hunglae

The Curry Paste and Garam Masala

The inspiration for hunglae is its curry paste, which is made by pounding collectively chiles and aromatics like contemporary galangal, lemongrass, and garlic. The form of curry paste used will rely upon the dish you’re making ready; the variation utilized in hunglae is made with dried chiles, shallots, garlic, lemongrass, galangal, and shrimp paste (kapi กะปิ), leading to an herbaceous, spicy, salty paste that mellows out superbly with the applying of warmth.

For essentially the most flavorful paste, I like to recommend utilizing a mortar and pestle. As former Critical Eats editor Kenji has written, the grinding movement of the mortar and pestle breaks down cell partitions, releasing extra taste compounds than the straightforward chopping motion of a meals processor or blender. To make the pounding simpler, make sure to slice the lemongrass, galangal, and shallots as thinly as you possibly can earlier than grinding them. The order by which you add the components to the mortar and pestle additionally issues: You need to add the components from hardest to softest, beginning with the dried chiles and salt, adopted by the galangal and lemongrass, and at last, the alliums and shrimp paste. This course of permits every ingredient to be damaged down correctly, yielding a clean, fragrant paste.After I’m quick on time, I exploit Kenji’s hybrid mortar and pestle and food processor method. Merely start the method of breaking down the components in your mortar and pestle, then end it within the meals processor to get it fully clean.

Along with the curry paste, the dish additionally depends on hunglae powder or masala powder for its spiced notes. This ingredient is never present in central Thai cooking, and is what offers gaeng hunglae its signature heat and complexity. The spice combine varies from model to model, however most variations containa mixture of cinnamon, cloves, cardamom, cumin, and coriander seeds. I like to recommend utilizing hunglae powder if you will discover it, however you may also use your favourite store-bought or homemade garam masala for this recipe.

The Pork

My favourite option to make this curry is with a mixture of skin-on pork stomach and pork shoulder. The stomach is, in some ways, the star of the present: After 4 hours of braising, the fats virtually melts into the sauce, giving it a velvety texture. Whereas the dish is sweet when made with a skinless stomach, the collagen from the pores and skin makes for a considerably richer curry with a satiny end. The pork shoulder, alternatively, ups the meat to fats ratio and gives the dish with extra substance. Different braising cuts reminiscent of country-style ribs or shanks can be used.

The Pickled Garlic

Pickled garlic (kratiem dong; กระเทียมดอง) provides little pops of candy and bitter taste all through the dish, and cuts by means of the richness of the sauce and the pork. Most grocery shops promoting Southeast Asian merchandise could have the Thai model, however any garlic pickled in vinegar could be substituted. 

Easy methods to Serve Gaeng Hunglae

As soon as the pork is tender and the sauce has decreased to a thick gravy-like consistency, the dish is prepared for the desk. Garnish it with toasted and crushed peanuts and further julienned ginger, or take pleasure in as is. If you’re good at delaying gratification, put it away within the fridge in a single day and luxuriate in it the subsequent day: The additional time offers the flavors an opportunity to meld and develop even additional, and extra fats could be skimmed off extra simply when the curry is chilly, do you have to select to take action. 

Hunglae is finest loved with steamed rice or sticky rice (khao niao). Whereas hunglae and rice make for an incredible meal as a duo, a Northern Thai desk is never ever set with simply two issues. The khantoke, a small pedestal full of a variety of small dishes, is a Northern custom that continues to at the present time: The concept is for diners to take pleasure in a stability of various flavors, textures, and vitamins from a choice of meals in the course of the course of the meal. For a extra genuine Northern Thai expertise, serve hunglae alongside different Chiang Mai favorites, reminiscent of nam prik noom (roasted inexperienced chili dip), nam prik ong (tomato and pork dip), and larb muang (herby chopped meat salad). 

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