Many of my recipes are devised by my imagination and often don’t really come into fruition until I am cooking them. I guess I am just lucky in that way and have really found my true calling…..recipe creation. This Yellow Curry Pork dish was exactly one of those recipes. I had been thinking of Bolognese but we had had a lot of pasta of late. I really felt like Asian cuisine but wanted something quick and easy, yet comforting at the same time. I also wanted to use some ingredients that I already had as I loathe waste. Hence, Yellow Curry Pork with Rice Noodles was born. Rich and creamy, budget friendly and every bit like a Bolognese when twirling those long slippery strands of perfectly cooked rice noodles. The bonus fresh Asian garnish on top cut through the richness and gave this awesome dish a real lift. I think you should definitely cook this one………you’re gonna love it!
Prep time: 20 Minutes
Cooking time: 30 Minutes
$ Low Budget
Serves 4 (large portions)
For the Yellow Curry Pork:
2 tbs of peanut oil
500gm of pork mince
4 garlic cloves, finely minced
5cm piece of ginger, peeled and finely grated
1 lemon grass stalk, finely chopped
1 long red chilli, finely chopped (seeds removed if you like less heat)
4 kaffir lime leaves (if you have leftover, freeze them in a zip lock bag)
1 tin of water chestnuts, drained and finely chopped
2 heaped tbs of Yellow Curry Paste (I use this brand)
400gm tin of coconut milk
2 tbs of fish sauce
Juice of 1 lime
1 heaped tbs of soft brown sugar
A handful of snow peas, finely julienned
1 bunch of baby choy sum, thinly sliced about 1/2cm
1 cup of coriander leaves, roughly chopped
1 packet of rice stick noodles
Extra lime wedges to serve
For the Asian Salad Garnish:
1 Lebanese cucumber or 4 Baby Cukes, finely sliced
1/2 a cup of Thai Basil Leaves
1/2 a Cup of Coriander Leaves
2 Kaffir Lime Leaves, centre vein removed, rolled and then very finely sliced
1 red chilli, sliced (optional)
Just a tip, I have a small ring pull chopper that I love to use for the aromatics (garlic, ginger, lemongrass & chilli) and it takes about 30 seconds to chop everything up really finely. I then used it for the water chestnuts. You can purchase them (for around $20-$30 at most kitchenware shops like House or Robin’s Kitchen.
To make the Yellow Curry Pork heat a large fry pan or wok and add the peanut oil. When it is nice and hot, fry the ginger, garlic, lemongrass & chilli for a couple of minutes, stirring frequently. Really crank up the heat and add the mince, using a wooden spoon to break it up until it is cooked through and any juices have evaporated. Add the kaffir lime leaves, water chestnuts and yellow curry paste and stir to combine before pouring in the coconut milk and then season with the lime juice, fish sauce and brown sugar. Stir to combine and then lower the heat to a simmer. Allow to simmer for about 20 minutes, while you prepare the Asian garnish and cook the noodles. A few minutes before ading the cooked noodles, stir in the snow peas and choy sum. These only need a couple of minutes in the sauce……
Cook your noodles for about 7 minutes or until just tender. They will cook further in the sauce when you toss them through.
Place the herbs and cucumber slices in a bowl of iced water for maximum crunch. Drain well before serving.
Once the noodles are just cooked, drain and immediately pour them into the sauce. If a bit of the starchy water is left, it doesn’t matter if it ends up in the sauce. If the noodles are nice and hot and a bit wet, it will make it easier to toss them through. Use a couple of wooden spoons or some tongs to toss the noodles through the sauce until well combined and then divide them between serving bowls. Place a nice pile of the salad garnish on top of each bowl and serve with extra lime wedges and slices of red chilli.