Calling all pork belly lovers! This Thai pork belly with yellow curry recipe is for you! Not only is the pork belly gloriously seared to extract more texture and flavors, but this recipe also calls for broiled bamboo shoots, gold potatoes, and sweet onion. The broiling adds a whole new level of taste to this extra cream Thai yellow curry.
What goes into this recipe?
As mentioned, this Thai pork curry recipe asks for your to broil your vegetables before adding them to the curry sauce. This extra step will add depth and flavors to the dish. Don’t skip it! The tender and slightly chewy browned pork belly mixed with the broiled bamboo shoots, sweet yellow onion, and gold potatoes make this dish a hearty recipe.
Don't forget the coconut cream for this yellow curry recipe. It's crucial in making this dish super creamy and delicious! I used Chaokoh brand. You can use any brand you can find but make sure it's the full fat coconut cream with no sugar added to it.
Yellow curry paste
Yellow curry paste is made from dried chilis, several dried spices, and fresh herbs making it a very fragrant curry paste. The turmeric used is what gives the paste its distinctive yellow color. It is one of the mildest Thai curry pastes, a good curry to start if you’re new to Thai curries. For this recipe, I used a homemade recipe, but you can use a store-bought paste. Mae ploy is a trusted Thai brand but knows that store-bought pastes tend to be spicier and saltier than homemade pastes. Adjust your seasoning accordingly by using less paste and or fish sauce.
How to make yellow curry with pork belly
Here are the step-by-step instructions, in photos, on how to make this delicious Thai yellow curry with pork belly. 
- Soak bamboo in hot water for 10 minutes, drain and pat dry with a paper towel.
- Brush the bamboo shoots, potatoes, and onion with a little oil or cooking oil spray. Broil bamboo shoots, onion, and yellow potatoes for 15-20 minutes or until charred. Remove from the oven, let cool while you make the curry sauce.
- In medium-high heat, add the pork belly and cook for 10 minutes. Add water gradually if the meat starts to brown too fast or sticky too much to the pan. Stir regularly.
- Add the curry paste, stir well. Add the chopped garlic for extra flavor before adding the curry paste.
- Add the coconut cream, stir and let it cook until the sauce thickens. 3-5 minutes.
- Add the broiled vegetables and coconut milk and stir well.
- Add the fish sauce and sugar and let it simmer on low heat for 20 minutes. Checking and stirring occasionally.
- Turn the heat off, add basil and let the curry cool down slightly while you set your table. Serve hot with cooked jasmine rice. Enjoy!
Kitchen Notes/Expert tips
- Pork belly: While browning the pork belly, you may need to add water to the pot to help loosen up the meat sticking to the pot. Some pork belly has fatter than others and the leaner meat you have on the pork, the more it will stick to the pan. Adding water helps.
- Cutting the pork belly: When cutting the pork belly, try to cut the meat to include all the layers of the pork. The meat, the fat, and the skin for the complete pork belly taste experience.
- Bamboo shoots: For this Thai yellow curry recipe, try to find whole bamboo tips if possible. See the ingredient shot for reference of the brand, packing, and the cut of bamboo I used. You want to keep the bamboo tips in larger chunks for easy broiling and also for the meatier texture. Some Asian markets may even carry the extra-large bamboo shoots in a large aluminum container where you can pick out your own pieces. Always rinse the bamboo shoots before cooking.
- Fish sauce: Adjust the fish sauce and sugar as necessary as each brand of fish sauce has a different level of saltiness. I suggest using anywhere from 1-3 tables of each ingredient and slowly adding to the curry until your taste bud is happy.
- Sugar: I’ve used monk fruit sugar, honey, and agave as substitutes for a more natural sweetener. Again, play around with the portions if you decide to use these ingredients like me.
FAQ's
What is yellow curry called in Thai?
In Thai, yellow curry is called, Nam Prik Gaeng Garee. Yellow curry is a beautiful blend of Indian and Thai cuisine in one dish. The Indian origin adds the use of spices like turmeric, cumin, fennel, coriander, and curry powder. From the Thai influence, you have fresh herbs like galangal, garlic, shallot, and shrimp paste added to the dried spices, making yellow curry a very well-rounded dish.
Can I freeze the left over curry?
Yes! You can absolutely freeze this yellow curry. In fact, curries taste better the next day as leftovers because the coconut milk binds the curry paste and all the ingredients together even more over night, making the curry extra creamy. Freezing the leftovers, if you have any, is perfect for a quick meal.
What meat is best with yellow curry?
You can make your own rules with what choice of protein you want to use according to your nutritional needs! This recipe calls for pork belly, but you can use any meat for it if you don’t want to use pork belly. Note though that the taste of pork belly is very distinctive, with its tender, juicy and silky taste that adds to the taste experience of this recipe.
Is Thai yellow curry healthy?
Thai yellow curry, like all Thai curries, is healthy as a paste. But the paste is never used alone without adding some sort of sauce or seasoning when cooked as a dish. It depends entirely on how the dish is prepared and what ingredients have been added to the paste that determines how healthy a dish is. Obviously, the use of sugar and coconut milk adds the calories, but you can easily adjust the amount used as well if you are wanting to make your curries healthier.
Related Recipes
- Easy Thai yellow curry with chicken
- Authentic Thai red curry recipe
- Thai red curry with chicken and kabocha squash
- Beef Massaman curry recipe
Let's get going to making your new favorite Thai yellow curry with pork belly! Trust me, you're going to love this recipe!
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Thai pork belly with yellow curry
- Total Time: 55 minutes
- Yield: 8
- Diet: Gluten Free
Description
Calling all pork belly lovers which I’m assuming a lot of you are out there. This Thai pork belly with yellow curry recipe is for you! Not only is the pork belly gloriously seared to extract more texture and flavors, but this recipe also calls for broiled bamboo shoots, gold potatoes, and sweet onion. The broiling adds a whole new level of taste to this extra cream Thai yellow curry.
Ingredients
- 8 oz bamboo tips, cut into 3 inches pieces and ½ inch thick
- 1 ½ cup sweet onion, chopped long and ¼ inch thin
- 1 ½ cup gold yellow potatoes cubed into 1/1-inch pieces
- 1 lb pork belly cut into 2-inch pieces
- Up to 1 cup water or as needed, *add to the pork belly gradually
- 3 Tbsp yellow curry paste, or 2 tbsp store-bought.
- 1 cup coconut cream
- 1 can coconut milk (13.5 oz)
- 2-3 Tbsp brown or palm sugar
- 2-3 Tbsp fish sauce
Instructions
- Soak bamboo in hot water for 10 minutes, drain and pat dry with a paper towel.
- Brush the bamboo shoots, potatoes, and onion with a little oil or cooking oil spray. Broil bamboo shoots, onion, and yellow potatoes for 15-20 minutes or until charred. Remove from the oven, let cool while you make the curry sauce.
- In medium-high heat, add the pork belly and cook for 10 minutes. Add water gradually if the meat starts to brown too fast or sticky too much to the pan. Stir regularly.
- Add the curry paste, stir well. Add the chopped garlic for extra flavor before adding the curry paste.
- Add the coconut cream, stir and let it cook until the sauce thickens. 3-5 minutes.
- Add the broiled vegetables and coconut milk and stir well.
- Add the fish sauce and sugar and let it simmer on low heat for 20 minutes. Checking and stirring occasionally.
- Turn the heat off, add basil and let the curry cool down slightly while you set your table. Serve hot with cooked jasmine rice. Enjoy!
Notes
- Pork belly: While browning the pork belly, you may need to add water to the pot to help loosen up the meat sticking to the pot. Some pork belly has fatter than others and the leaner meat you have on the pork, the more it will stick to the pan. Adding water helps.
- Cutting the pork belly: When cutting the pork belly, try to cut the meat to include all the layers of the pork. The meat, the fat, and the skin for the complete pork belly taste experience.
- Bamboo shoots: For this Thai yellow curry recipe, try to find whole bamboo tips if possible. See the ingredient shot for reference of the brand, packing, and the cut of bamboo I used. You want to keep the bamboo tips in larger chunks for easy broiling and also for the meatier texture. Some Asian markets may even carry the extra-large bamboo shoots in a large aluminum container where you can pick out your own pieces. Always rinse the bamboo shoots before cooking.
- Fish sauce: Adjust the fish sauce and sugar as necessary as each brand of fish sauce has a different level of saltiness. I suggest using anywhere from 1-3 tables of each ingredient and slowly adding to the curry until your taste bud is happy.
- Sugar: I’ve used monk fruit sugar, honey, and agave as substitutes for a more natural sweetener. Again, play around with the portions if you decide to use these ingredients like me.
- Prep Time: 15
- Cook Time: 40
- Category: Curry
- Method: Boiling
- Cuisine: Thai
Keywords: Thai yellow curry with pork belly. thai yellow curry. pork belly curry. yellow curry with pork belly.
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