Braised pork belly with Thai basil & tofu

Contains pork – recipe is for non-Muslims only
In this light and fragrant curry, the pork and tofu are surrounded by a delicate sauce with spring onions, ginger and chilli

Prep:30 mins
Cook:2 hrs 25 mins

Serves 8
Easy

Nutrition per serving

kcal 534
fat 36g
saturates 11g
carbs 10g
sugars 6g
fibre 2g
protein 42g
salt 2.4g

Ingredients

2 tbsp vegetable oil
1½-2kg boneless pork belly, cut into 8 pieces, skin left on
2 onions, sliced
8 spring onions, sliced
4 tsp caster sugar
3 tbsp light soy sauce
1 tbsp dark soy sauce
2 tbsp rice wine vinegar
1 tsp chicken stock powder
900g firm tofu, cut into cubes
3 small packs Thai basil, leaves only
50g ginger, peeled and roughly chopped
6 garlic cloves, roughly chopped
10 fat green chillies, seeds left in, roughly chopped
2 tbsp vegetable oil

Method

Heat 1 tbsp of the oil in a heavy, wide flameproof casserole dish and brown the skin side of the pork pieces for about 5 mins. You’ll need to do this in batches, setting the pork aside each time. Meanwhile, make the spice paste. Put the ginger, garlic, chillies and oil into a food processor and pulse until finely chopped.
Heat another 1 tbsp oil in the dish, add the onions and spring onions, and fry for 10 mins until soft. Turn the heat to low, add the spice paste and gently fry for 2-3 mins until fragrant.
Nestle the pork pieces in the onions and pour in enough cold water to just cover. Stir in the sugar, soy sauces, vinegar, stock and 1 tsp salt, and bring to the boil. Cover with a lid and simmer on a low heat for 1 hr 30 mins. Add the tofu and Thai basil, and continue to cook for another 30 mins, by which time the pork will be very tender. Season to taste, then serve.