Pad Prik King recipe with pork belly is a delicious Thai dish using Prik Khing curry paste, and green beans and infused with the fragrant kaffir lime leaves. This dried curry stir fry dish is not only simple to put together, but it offers a full flavor of sweet, salty, and spicy all in one bite!
I used shrimp and coconut milk in another easy red curry with green beans with shrimp, and it's one of the most loved recipes on this blog! And if you love pork belly, you must also try this Thai pork belly with yellow curry. Two popular and delicious recipes you want to check out!
What Is Prik King?
Prik king is a stir fry dish using red curry paste made from fresh herbs, roasted spices, and Thai chilis. Since the traditional curry dish doesn't use coconut, the Prik King curry paste is drier than the typical Thai red, green, or yellow curries. "Prik" in Thai means chilis "King," which means ginger, but there's not a trace of ginger in the dish during any part of making this recipe.
Key Ingredients in Prik Khing Curry
- Prik Khing curry paste. The curry paste is a must for this Thai curry dish. I used a homemade paste for this recipe, but a store-bought brand will also work. Just use a little less paste and fish sauce when seasoning this dish. If store-bought, I highly recommend Maesri Brand.
- Pork belly. The seared pork belly in this Prik Khing recipe adds an extra depth of flavors to the stir-fry. The silky and tender taste of the pork belly helps buffer the spicy curry paste used in the recipe. You can also check out another popular and delicious pork belly recipe here. You will love both so much!
- Kaffir lime leaves. The herb that sets Prik King apart from other stir fry curry dishes is the use of kaffir lime leaves to season this dish.
- Green beans. Green beans also set this dish apart. If you have access to long pole green beans, all the better. But any fresh green beans will do just fine.
- Dried shrimp. Dried shrimp adds a little something extra to this Prik King recipe. It also adds a little extra salt to the dish, so watch the salt seasoning here. You can omit this ingredient if you can't find it.
How to Make this Recipe
Here are the detailed step-by-step photos to help you make a tasty prik king recipe. Let's get started!
- In medium-high heat in a wok or large skillet, add the pork belly. No oil is needed because heat will extract the oil from the pork belly fat. Cook for 8-10 minutes until the meat is cooked and browned. Add a small amount of water (2-3 Tbsp) if the meat sticks too much to the pan. Stir a few times.
- Add the minced garlic, stir in well, and cook for 1 minute.
- Add the curry paste, stir well cook for 1-2 minutes. Add a small amount of water if it gets too dry.
- Add the dried shrimp and stir for another minute.
- Add the sugar and fish sauce, and carefully taste the paste to adjust the flavor. If it's too salty, add a little more sugar. The dish tends to get salty easily from the curry paste and the dried shrimp, so go light on the fish sauce.
- Add the kaffir lime leaves and shallot and cook for one more minute. Add more water again if the dish gets too dry. Turn the heat down to medium if food is cooking too quickly.
- Add the green beans, stir everything well, taste the dish and adjust the seasoning quickly one last time. Cook for two more minutes, then turn the heat off.
- Done! Serve the Pad Prik king stir fry with cooked jasmine rice!
Kitchen Notes
- When you cut the pork belly, make sure to cut the meat to include all the layers of the pork. The skin, the fat, and the meat ensure you get the whole pork belly experience in every bite.
- It's ok to gradually add some water as needed throughout the cooking process to help loosen up the pork belly and the curry paste to avoid sticking so much to the pan. The water will dilute the flavor of the stir fry some, and adjust the sugar and fish sauce accordingly.
FAQs and Expert Tips
-
Can I use Other Cuts of Meat for Pad Prik Khing?
Yes, you can! You can use any choice of protein with this Prik King recipe. Pork, chicken, beef, and tofu are all excellent options. I even have another easy red curry with green beans with shrimp Prik King recipe one with a shrimp version you can check out too. The recipe is slightly different from this one because I use coconut milk for an added creamy flavor. Both are very delicious!
-
What Vegetables can I use in the Prik King Recipe?
Other vegetables that you can substitute are; asparagus, broccolini, snap pea pods and the stemmy parts of the broccoli. You want a firm and crunchy vegetable for this Pad Prik King recipe.
-
Can I use Red Curry Paste instead of Prik Khing Curry Paste?
Yes, you can! Prik Khing curry paste is very similar to the famous Thai red curry paste with just a few tweaks of the ingredients used. Prik King paste is less spicy since it doesn't use as many chili peppers. So use less of the red curry paste, then adjust the seasoning accordingly when making the stir-fry.
Related Recipes
- Easy red curry with green beans with shrimp Prik King recipe
- Thai pork belly with yellow curry
- Authentic Thai red curry recipe
- Red Thai curry with chicken and kabocha squash
- Kaffir limes leave and substitute. Check out this helpful blog post about kaffir leaves, one of the key ingredients in this recipe.
Let's make your new favorite Thai yellow curry with pork belly! Trust me; you're going to love this recipe!
PrintPad Prik King Recipe with pork belly
- Total Time: 35 minutes
- Yield: 6
- Diet: Gluten Free
Description
Pad Prik King recipe with pork belly is a delicious Thai dish using prik khing curry paste, green beans and infused with the fragrant kaffir lime leaves. This dried curry stir fry dish is not only simple to put together, but it offers a full flavor of sweet, salty, and spicy all in one bite!
Ingredients
1 lb pork belly, sliced 1x2 inches pieces
1 Tbsp garlic, minced
3 Tbsp curry paste, 2 Tbsp if using store bought paste
1 Tbsp dried shrimp, soaked in water to hydrate before using
2-3 Tbsp sugar, brown, palm or white sugar is fine
¼ cup or 1 small shallot thinly sliced
3 kaffir lime leaves, thinly sliced into long strips
1.2 cup green beans, cut 1.2 inch long
½ tsp fish sauce or as needed after tasting
Water- up to 1 cup, use as needed
Instructions
- In medium-high heat in a wok or large skillet, add the pork belly. No oil is needed because heat will extract the oil from the pork belly fat. Cook for 8-10 minutes until the meat is cooked and browned. Add a small amount of water (2-3 Tbsp) if the meat sticks too much to the pan. Stir a few times.
- Add the minced garlic, stir in well, and cook for 1 minute.
- Add the curry paste, stir well cook for 1-2 minutes. Add a small amount of water if it gets too dry.
- Add the dried shrimp and stir for another minute.
- Add the sugar and fish sauce, and carefully taste the paste to adjust the flavor. If it's too salty, add a little more sugar. The dish tends to get salty easily from the curry paste and the dried shrimp, so go light on the fish sauce.
- Add the kaffir lime leaves and shallot and cook for one more minute. Add more water again if the dish gets too dry. Turn the heat down to medium if food is cooking too quickly.
- Add the green beans, stir everything well, taste the dish and adjust the seasoning quickly one last time. Cook for two more minutes, then turn the heat off.
- Done! Serve the Pad Prik king stir fry with cooked jasmine rice!
Notes
- When you cut the pork belly, make sure to cut the meat to include all the layers of the pork. The skin, the fat and the meat to ensure you get the full pork belly experience in every bite.
- It’s ok to gradually add some water as needed throughout the cooking process to help loosen up the pork belly and the curry paste so it’s not sticking so much to the pan. The water will dilute the flavor of the stir fry some, adjust the sugar and fish sauce accordingly.
- Prep Time: 15
- Cook Time: 20
- Category: Curries
- Method: Stir fried
- Cuisine: Thai
Keywords: prik king recipe with pork belly. prik king curry. prik king. pad prik king recipe. prik king recipe
Love a recipe you've tried? Please leave a 5-star 🌟rating in the recipe card below and/or a review in the comments section further down the page. Or follow me on Facebook, Pinterest, or Instagram!
Leave a Reply