Phaksha Paa

Ingredients

• 1⅓ lbpork bellycut into bite-sized pieces
• 7 ozpork shoulderdiced, replaces part of the belly (optional)
• 7 ozDaikon radishpeeled and sliced
• 6Dried red chilieswhole or roughly chopped, heat to taste
• 1Onionfinely chopped or sliced
• 4 clovesGarlicminced or as paste
• 1 tbspGingergrated or as paste
• 2⅛ cupsWaterfor braising, stock as an alternative
• 1 tbspVegetable oilfor frying
• 1 tspTurmericground
• ½ tspSichuan pepperground, for its resinous aroma (optional)
• Black pepperground, to taste (optional)
• 1 tspSalt
• Cilantroroughly chopped, to garnish
• 5¼ ozBok choysliced, as additional vegetable (optional)
• Red ricesteamed, to serve (optional)

Method

1. Heat the oil in a heavy pot — ghee works just as well if you prefer it.
2. Soften the onion, garlic and ginger over medium heat until translucent, without letting them colour.
3. Add the pieces of pork belly (and the diced shoulder, if you're using it) and brown them all over so they take on some colour.
4. Stir in the turmeric, ground sichuan pepper, black pepper and salt and let them toast briefly until fragrant.
5. Add the dried chilies and the sliced daikon and fry for a minute or two.
6. Pour in the water or stock and bring it to a boil.
7. Cover and braise over low heat for 30 to 45 minutes, until the meat is tender and the daikon is cooked through.
8. Take off the lid and let it bubble away uncovered until the sauce has thickened, then taste and adjust the seasoning.
9. Scatter with roughly chopped cilantro and serve hot.

Tips and variations

There's more than one route to the same bowl: you can first simmer the meat in salted water (a pressure cooker is fine too), pour off almost all the cooking liquid, and only then finish everything in the pan with chili, vegetables and ginger paste. A marinade of ginger, garlic, turmeric, chili powder, mustard and asafoetida is worth the effort as well — anywhere from 30 minutes to 3 hours. Pork or chicken stock can stand in for the water, ghee for the oil, and dried pork (jerky) can go in alongside the fresh meat. For more vegetables, add bok choy, bell pepper and fresh chilies, and hold the ginger paste back until the last 10 minutes. If you like the daikon with more bite, add it only after 30 minutes of braising and carry on uncovered. Serve with steamed red rice, classically together with Ema Datshi.