Gaeng Hung Lay

Name: Gaeng Hung Lay
Yield: 2 servings
Cuisine: Thai
Ingredients: 800g pork belly and shoulder, in large chunks; 4 tbsp hung lay curry paste (dried chillies, lemongrass, galangal, shallots, garlic, shrimp paste); 2 tbsp hung lay powder or mild curry powder; 60g fresh ginger, cut into fine strips; 1 head garlic, peeled cloves left whole; 2 tbsp roasted peanuts; 3 tbsp tamarind paste; 2 tbsp palm sugar; 2 tbsp fish sauce and 1 tbsp dark soy sauce

แกงฮังเล/gang hung-LAY/

Also known as: Kaeng Hang Le, Gaeng Hang Lay, Hung Lay Curry, Hung Lae, Northern Thai Pork Curry

About this dish

A rich, mild Northern Thai curry of slow-braised pork belly with ginger, garlic, tamarind and a Burmese-style spice paste, with no coconut milk.

📍 Find the best Gaeng Hung Lay near me

AI-powered — Google, TripAdvisor and food blogs

Ingredients

🐖800g pork belly and shoulder, in large chunks

🌶️4 tbsp hung lay curry paste (dried chillies, lemongrass, galangal, shallots, garlic, shrimp paste)

🌿2 tbsp hung lay powder or mild curry powder

🫚60g fresh ginger, cut into fine strips

🧄1 head garlic, peeled cloves left whole

🥜2 tbsp roasted peanuts

🫙3 tbsp tamarind paste

🍬2 tbsp palm sugar

🐟2 tbsp fish sauce and 1 tbsp dark soy sauce

Method

Serves 2

Rub the pork with the curry paste, curry powder and dark soy sauce, and leave to marinate for at least 1 hour.

Fry the marinated pork in a heavy pot until it releases its fat and the paste smells fragrant.

Add water to just cover, bring to a simmer and cook gently for about 1 hour.

Add the ginger, garlic cloves, peanuts, tamarind, palm sugar and fish sauce, and simmer for 30–60 minutes more until the pork is very tender and the sauce is thick and glossy.

Taste for a balance of salty, sweet and sour, and serve with sticky rice.

✓ What Makes it Authentic

Gaeng hung lay came to Chiang Mai and Lampang with Burmese and Shan traders and teak workers; it is a centrepiece of Northern Thai festivals and temple fairs.

User Reviews

No reviews yet — be the first!

Members can create lists, save favourites and get recommendations.

🌍 Food Vlogs

Eating and cooking it at the source

🌍

No videos yet

What To Eat

The World's Food Guide