House Made Belt Noodles Recipe

Prepare aromatics

Soak dried red chilies in hot water for 15 minutes until softened. Drain, squeeze out excess water and remove stems and seeds if you prefer milder paste.

In a dry skillet over medium heat, toast shallots, garlic, galangal, lemongrass slices and coriander root for 2–3 minutes until aromatic but not browned. Allow to cool slightly.

In the jar of a food processor or a mortar and pestle, combine the softened chilies, toasted aromatics, kaffir lime zest, ground coriander, ground cumin, toasted shrimp paste, white pepper and salt. Blend to a coarse paste, adding neutral oil 1 tablespoon at a time to help emulsify until you have a smooth, spreadable paste (about 3 tbs oil total). Taste and adjust salt or chilies. Makes roughly 140–160 g of paste (enough for the curry and extra).

In a small saucepan, combine neutral oil and sliced garlic. Warm over medium-low heat until the garlic begins to sizzle gently and turn pale golden (do not burn) — about 3–4 minutes.

Remove from heat, add dried chilies or flakes and let steep for 10 minutes to infuse. Add chopped Thai basil and a pinch of salt, stir, and let cool to room temperature. Strain if you want a clear oil, or leave herbs and garlic in for texture. Reserve about 2 tablespoons for the noodle finishing and the rest for other uses. Store in refrigerator up to 1 week.

Pat the pork cubes dry and season lightly with 1/2 tsp salt and a few grinds of pepper.

Heat 2 tbs vegetable oil in a heavy saucepan or clay pot over medium-high heat. Brown the pork in batches until nicely seared on all sides — about 4–5 minutes per batch. Transfer seared pork to a plate.

In the same pot, reduce heat to medium and add 3 tbs house curry paste. Fry the paste for 2–3 minutes, stirring constantly, until fragrant and the oil begins to separate.

Return the pork to the pot, add the potatoes and stir to coat with the paste. Pour in coconut milk and chicken stock, stirring to combine and scraping any browned bits from the bottom.

Add fish sauce, palm sugar, tamarind paste and torn kaffir lime leaves. Bring to a gentle simmer, then reduce heat to maintain a low simmer. Cook uncovered for 25–30 minutes, stirring occasionally, until potatoes are tender and pork is cooked through and sauce has thickened slightly.

Taste and adjust seasoning with additional fish sauce (for saltiness), sugar (for sweetness) or a squeeze of lime/palm vinegar if you prefer more acidity. Stir in sliced scallions and most of the Thai basil leaves in the final 1–2 minutes of cooking to wilt them slightly; reserve some basil for garnish.

If using a clay pot rice method: in a separate clay pot or heavy-bottomed pot, layer cooked rice, spoon hot pork & potato curry over rice and finish in a covered clay pot over low heat for 8–10 minutes to develop a slight crust and meld flavors.

Bring a large pot of salted water to a rolling boil. Add the belt noodles and cook according to package/fresh noodle instructions until just al dente — usually 2–4 minutes for fresh noodles. Reserve 120 ml (1/2 cup) of noodle cooking water, then drain the noodles and toss immediately with 1 tsp sesame oil to prevent sticking.

In a large skillet or wok, heat 1 tbs neutral oil over medium-high heat. Add the drained noodles and toss briefly to warm through. Add 1 tbs soy sauce and about 2–3 tbs of the reserved pork curry (a few spoonfuls of the saucy pork mixture) and 2 tbs hot basil oil. Toss quickly to coat; if the noodles seem dry, add 1–2 tbs of reserved noodle water to loosen and create a glossy coating.

Plate a bed of the warmed, sauced belt noodles. Spoon generous portions of the pork & potato curry (with sauce) atop or alongside the noodles. Drizzle with an extra teaspoon of hot basil oil for heat and fragrance.

Garnish with crispy shallots, chopped cilantro, remaining Thai basil leaves and lime wedges on the side. Serve immediately, encouraging diners to squeeze lime over the dish and mix noodles with curry as they eat.

Yield: serves 4. Leftover curry keeps 3 days refrigerated; reheat gently and stir in a splash of water or coconut milk if too thick.