This is an aromatic stew that leans into the sweet spectrum of the palate. An all-time Thai favorite, moo palo was introduced locally by the Chinese-Cantonese and Tae Chiew immigrants who flocked to the Kingdom in the early nineteenth century.
The name of this dish originates from two Chinese words: pah ziah and lou.
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Pah ziah refers in Chinese to the art of medicinal herbal preparations, while lou indicates a broth or a stew; placed together, the word phalo describes a broth made from an assortment of medicinal herbs.
Phalo-style dishes are usually made from duck or goose, pork, chicken or eggs, and are highly praised by Chinese and Thais alike.
The legendary Chinese five-spice mix, an all-purpose preparation believed to strengthen and stimulate the body, is in the heart and soul of this heavenly scented dish.
Acquire a small bottle of the five-spice mix. While you may not use it very often, it is definitely worth trying this stew for an exotic change.
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Ingredients
- 400 g pork belly (เนื้อหมูสามชั้น) sliced bacon, cut into 3cm (1.5″) cubes
- 300 g pork neck meat (สันคอหมู) cut into 3cm (1.5″) cubes
- 7 chicken eggs (ไข่ไก่)
- 300 g yellow firm soybean tofu (เต้าหู้เหลือง) cut into 2cm (1″) cubes
- neutral tasting cooking oil (น้ำมันพืช)
- 10-20 dried shiitake mushrooms (เห็ดหอมแห้ง)
- 1/3 cup palm sugar (น้ำตาลมะพร้าว) (125gr )
- 3 star anise (โป๊ยกั๊ก) (S9)
- 3 pieces cinnamon stick (อบเชย) (S8) 5cm (2″) each
- 1 teaspoon Chinese five spices powder (ผงพะโล้) phalo powder
- 1/4 cup fish sauce (น้ำปลา)
- 8 cups water (น้ำเปล่า)
- 2 tablespoons thick sweet soy sauce (ซีอิ๊วหวาน)
- 1 tablespoon light soy sauce (ซีอิ๊วขาว)
- 1 tablespoon oyster sauce (ซอสน้ำมันหอย)
Garlic coriander paste
- 3 coriander roots (รากผักชี) about 10gr, scraped, washed and finely chopped
- 5 Chinese garlic (กระเทียมจีน) about 20gr, finely chopped
- 2 teaspoons black peppercorns (พริกไทยดำ) about 5gr
- 1 teaspoon sea salt (เกลือทะเล)
Instructions
- Soak the shiitake mushrooms in 1 cup of boiling water for about 15 minutes.
- When rehydrated, strain. Save both the water and the mushrooms, and set aside.
- Remove and discard the hard stalks.
- Gently place the eggs in a pot and cover with cold water. Add 1 tablespoon of salt and 1 tablespoon of white vinegar to prevent the eggs from cracking. Bring to boil, and let it boil for one minute on medium heat. Then turn off the heat and cover the pot. Let rest for 15 minutes. Transfer the eggs to a cold water bath, and let them cool down. Peel and dry. Set aside.
- Cut the bean curd into 2cm (1″) cubes
- Deep fry the bean curd on medium-low heat until the cubes are golden.
- Remove the bean curd from the oil. Soak the cubes in 1 cup of boiling water for about 15 minutes, then strain and set aside.
- Thoroughly clean the skin side of the pork belly, and cut into 3cm (1.5″) cubes. Cut the pork tenderloin into cubes of the same size.
- In a hot wok, without oil, roast the pork belly pieces. The heat will render out the fat.
- When the pork starts to brown, and there is liquid fat in the wok, then add the pork tenderloin cubes. Sear together until the meat is browned from all sides.
- Set aside.
- In a mortar and pestle, pound the coriander roots, the garlic and the peppercorns with a teaspoon of salt as an abrasive.
- The paste does not need to be very fine. Set aside.
- In a wok on a low heat, melt the palm sugar. Slowly caramelize it to a deep amber color, being careful not to burn it! You may add a tablespoon of water here and there, to control the rate of caramelization.
- Now the sugar is nice and brown.
- Add the garlic-coriander paste, the cinnamon sticks, star anise and the Chinese five-spice powder. Mix well.
- Add the pork and eggs to the sugar sauce. Mix well.
- Transfer the pork and eggs to a pot, and cover with a lid.
- Add the rehydrated mushrooms and their water.
- Add fried bean curd.
- Fill the pot with 4 cups of water.
- Add the sweet black soy sauce, the fish sauce, the light soy sauce and the oyster sauce.
- Cover, and simmer on low heat for about 1 hour until the pork is soft and the eggs are a nice deep brown color. Skim any oil that floats to the top.
- Serve hot, garnished with fresh coriander leaves.
In this straightforward and rewarding stir-fried dish, I am using boiled salted duck egg, available from Asian markets, as my flavoring assistant. During stir-frying, the egg yolk dissolves to a velvety sauce that softly coats the squids, and complimenting their ocean’s flavor. The alternate reds and greens strips of the vegetables emerged from the buttery yellow sauce are tempting for a taste.
The original version uses three egg yolks – a bit too much for a health conscious person like me. Therefore, I am using only one whole egg, both the egg white and the egg yolk. I tune down the white’s sharp saltiness with an additional portion of sugar, and compensate for the color lost by adding a spoon of commercial chili sauce to improve. The resulting is a well-balanced dish with the right texture that stands up in this healthy version against its original with a winning smile….
Rice Seasoned with Young Tamarind Relish, Sweetened Fish and Pickled Morning Glory (ข้าวคลุกน้ำพริกมะขามอ่อน ผักบุ้งดอง ปลาแห้งผัดหวาน และ ปลาดุกย่าง; Khaao Khlook Naam Phrik Makhaam Aawn Phakboong Daawng Bplaa Haaeng Phat Waan Lae Bplaa Dook Yaang)
Seasoned rice dishes have been a staple of rice-consuming societies almost since the first grains were cultivated. Adapted according to local resources, traditions and individual preferences, seasoned rice dishes are relished and savored across all walks of life. Within Siamese society, these dishes offer insight into the flavor instincts and eating habits across all demographics, revealing which food items were locally available and valued.
In this delicious seasoned rice recipe from the kitchens of the daughter of King Chulalongkorn, Princess Yaovabha Bongsanid (พระเจ้าบรมวงศ์เธอ พระองค์เจ้าเยาวภาพงศ์สนิท) (1884-1934), the Princess uses a variety of common preserved and inexpensive ingredients, clearly drawing inspiration from the cuisine of the Central Plains with nods to the rural and coastal living atmosphere.
Slices of firm pork fat and pork liver are alternately layered on top of one another and tied into bite-sized bundles using green threads made […]
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