Late Summer Coconut Curry with Pork Dumplings

This late summer curry was just right for the first cold rainy day of September – warm, spicy and satisfying. 

It’s part stew, part soup and we served it over rice noodles with fresh diced tomatoes and cilantro. The flavors are incredible and abundant – spicy red curry paste, sweet ripe tomatoes, coriander, fresh cilantro and the most tender pork dumplings. Making this dish while the vegetables are in season plus the homemade chicken stock definitely made this especially delicious.

Cut the following into a large dice:

2 cups organic carrots
1 medium organic onion
1 cup organic zucchini
1 medium organic pepper
2 stalks organic celery

Other vegetables that work well are peeled potatoes and cauliflower.

Make Ginger/Garlic Paste

1” piece of fresh ginger, peeled, large dice cut across the grain of the fibers
1 large garlic clove, large dice

Place chopped ginger and garlic in mortar and pestle.   Pound until you have a paste and ginger fibers are mostly broken down.

Ground Pork Dumplings

½ lb Ground Pork
1 T finely chopped cilantro
½ tsp ground coriander
½ tsp red curry paste
½ tsp garlic/ginger paste
salt

Aromatics
1 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp ground turmeric
½ tsp ground coriander

Sauce
1 quart homemade chicken stock
1 can organic coconut milk, full fat
2 cups stewed diced fresh tomatoes or store bought canned
1-2 tsps organic red curry paste

In medium stock pot, heat fat of choice and add carrots. Sauté on medium low until carrots just start to tenderize, then add remaining vegetables. If you are using potatoes, they should be added with carrots.

While vegetables are slowly cooking, combine the ground pork with the finally chopped cilantro, coriander, red curry paste, ½ tsp garlic/ginger paste and sprinkle of salt. Set aside.

When vegetables are al dente, make a space in the center, add a little fat and add the aromatics including ground cumin, turmeric, coriander and remaining garlic/ginger paste. Sauté just until fragrant and then add coconut milk, 2-3 cups stock and the stewed tomatoes. Use some of the stock to rinse out the can of coconut. Add 1-2 tsp organic Red Curry Paste. Stir well and bring to a low simmer.

Using a small spoon, scrape up ½” pieces of seasoned ground pork and drop into the bubbling pot. Dumplings will easily cook through in the simmering broth and will be more tender if you do not precook them. If the top of the pot gets crowded, use a spoon to gently push the dumplings further into the soup and then continue adding until all pork is used.

Allow to simmer a few more minutes and then check for seasoning. If you need more acidity, add more stewed tomatoes. If you want more liquid, add more chicken broth. This should come out somewhere between a soup and stew.

We served this over rice noodles but brown rice would be excellent as well. We topped our bowls with fresh diced summer ripened tomatoes and fresh cilantro.

Susannah declared this dish the best curry we’ve ever made! Enjoy!