Pad Prik Khing Recipe with Pork Belly

Pad Prik Khing recipe with pork belly is a delicious Thai dish using Prik Khing curry paste and green beans infused with fragrant kaffir lime leaves. This dry curry stir-fry dish is simple to put together and offers a full sweet, salty, and spicy flavor in one bite!  For more Prik King dishes, try this easy red curry with green beans with shrimp, and it's one of the most favorite Thai dishes 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 Khing?

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 no trace of ginger in the dish during any part of making this recipe. 

Authentic Thai curry pastes

If you love spicy food and want the most authentic and fresh recipes, try making your curry paste! Below are some easy homemade Thai curry pastes you may enjoy

• Authentic Choo Chee curry paste
• Authentic Thai green curry paste
• Authentic Thai red curry paste
• Authentic Thai yellow curry paste
• Prik Khing curry paste

Ingredients in Prik Khing Curry

• Prik Khing curry paste. The curry paste is a must for this Thai curry dish. I used my homemade Prik Khing curry paste for this recipe, but a store-bought paste will work too. Use a little less paste and fish sauce when seasoning this dish. If store-bought, I highly recommend Maesri Brand. Look for a small green container at your Asian markets.
• Pork belly. The seared and lightly crispy pork belly in this Prik Khing recipe adds more flavor to the stir-fry. The silky and tender taste of the pork belly helps buffer the spicy curry paste used in the recipe. Here is another popular and delicious Thai pork belly with yellow curry recipe. 
• Kaffir lime leaves. They are also called Makrut 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. Kaffir lime leaves are often used in Thai cuisine, especially in curries and soups.
• Green beans. Green beans also set this dish apart. If you have access to long green beans or Chinese long beans, all the better. But any fresh green beans will do just fine. Cut the beans into 2-inch pieces for this recipe.
• 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. These are dehydrated tiny shrimp and are not the same as shrimp paste.
• Oil. You won't need oil for this recipe as the pork belly will generate a lot of pork fat. But if your pork belly is very lean, use no more than one tablespoon of oil to help facilitate the meat in the wok. Canola or vegetable oil works great for this recipe.
• Fish sauce. I used a Thai Squid brand for this recipe. Some brands are saltier than others so go light at first. Season the dish using no more than one teaspoon of fish sauce at a time. Soy sauce is not recommended for this Thai recipe.
• Sugar. Use palm, white, brown, or palm sugar as sweeteners for the recipes.
• Water. Use water or chicken stock when food starts to stick to the pan. Use up to 1 cup of water or as needed.

How to make Prik Khing Curry Recipe

Here are the detailed step-by-step photos to help you make a tasty prik king recipe. Let's get started!     Step 1. Add the pork belly to medium heat in a wok or large skillet. 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.  Step 2. Add the minced garlic, stir well, and cook for about 20 - 30 seconds until fragrant. Step 3. Add the curry paste, stir well cook for 1-2 minutes. Add a little bit of water if the curry sauce gets too dry. Step 4. Add the dried shrimp and stir for another minute.  Step 5. 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 gets salty easily from the curry paste and the dried shrimp, so light on the fish sauce. Add more curry paste if needing more spice. Step 6. 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 if food is cooking too quickly. Step 7. Add the green beans, stir everything well, taste the dish and adjust the seasoning quickly. Cook for 2-3 minutes, then turn the heat off. Step 8. Done! Serve the Pad Prik king stir fry with cooked jasmine rice!  Garnish with thin strips of Thai chilies, red bell pepper, or a sprinkle of minced kaffir lime leaves.

Kitchen Notes

• Curry paste. If Prik King paste is unavailable, use 2 tablespoons of Thai red curry paste instead. Also, add 1 tablespoon of brown sugar to the recipe as the red curry paste is saltier and spicier than the prik king paste.
• 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. Slice them into bite-sized pieces for a faster cooking time.
• If the curry paste used in this recipe seems too much or spicy for your taste bud, try adding just half first. Taste the flavor and adds more at the end if you need just a bit more of a kick.
• It's ok to gradually add some water or chicken stock 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 stir fry flavor and adjust the sugar and fish sauce accordingly.
• Long green beans are typically used almost exclusively in Thai food. You may be able to find them in your local Asian market. They are crispy and sweeter than regular beans. They are also called snake beans or yard-long beans. They are pretty easy to identify. Look for bright green long beans in the vegetable section.
• Kaffir lime leaves. Kaffir lime leaves are often used in Thai cooking. They have a distinctive flavor that gives Prik King a unique flavor. Chop them into long strips for this recipe. Lime zest can use used as a substitute in a pinch.

FAQS

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 fried 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 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 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 red curry paste, then adjust the seasoning accordingly when making the stir-fry.

More Thai Recipes You May Enjoy

• Easy red curry with green beans with shrimp Prik King recipe
• Thai pork belly with yellow curry
• Easy Thai beef panang curry recipe
• Thai massaman curry with chicken and sweet potatoes
• Authentic Thai Red curry recipe
• 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.

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