Gaeng Om Moo – Thai pork stew

Ingredients for 4 servings:

• 500 g pork, marbled
• 250 g pumpkin flesh
• 250 g zucchini
• 5 eggplant(s) (Thai), the small white
• 5 shallots (Thai)
• 5 cloves garlic
• 6 chili peppers, red, possibly more (3 of them for the mortar)
• 1 piece(s) of galangal, approx. 5 cm
• 2 stalks of lemongrass
• 3 tbsp semolina (rice semolina)
• 6 spring onions (Thai)
• 1 bunch dill, large bunch
• 3 stalks of basil (Thai lemon basil – Bai Maenglak)
• 5 kaffir lime leaves
• 2 tbsp spice paste (fermented fish paste – Pla Rah)
• 1 tbsp fish sauce, to taste
• 1 tsp sugar
• ¼ liter broth, approx.
• n. B. water

Instructions

Working time approx. 1 hour; Total time approx. 1 hour

a dish from Isaan

Cut the meat into thin, approximately 5 cm long strips (works best when partially frozen). Dice the pumpkin and slice the zucchini. Quarter the eggplant. Chop the shallots and chilies (3 go in the mortar; see next step). Chop the spring onions, dill, and kaffir lime leaves, and tear the basil leaves from the stems. In a mortar, crush 3 chilies, the garlic, galangal, and lemongrass. Heat a little water in a large pot and cook the paste until it smells good. Now add the onions. Then add the stock and the meat and simmer for about 10 minutes. Add a little more water if necessary. Add the fermented fish paste (pla rah), then the pumpkin, zucchini, eggplant, and rice semolina. Simmer for 5 minutes. Now add the spring onions, chili, dill, kaffir lime leaves, and lemon basil. Season with fish sauce, sugar, salt, and pepper. Mix well and serve. Rice semolina: Dry-roast rice in a pan until golden brown and grind it. I use a special coffee grinder for this. Plah Rah: You can find it at Asian stores. It’s available with pieces of fish or already pureed (cream style). You should use the pureed version.