Enjoy Vietnamese New Year with Coconut Pork Curry

Did you know that Tet is the common term for the Vietnamese New Year? It is held on the first day of first month according to the Lunar calendar. Tet marks respect and remembrance for Vietnamese. People celebrate New Year with their dear ones. Tet calls for celebration during the agricultural year. Tet is a party time similar to Christmas and New Year. People invite their close friends and relatives for dinner, decorate their houses with  branches of peach blossom, kumquat tree and colorful flowers. Everything is decked up in yellow and red color as it denotes good luck.

There are lot of goodies prepared on this day. These include banh tet, pickled onions, boiled chicken, mung bean pudding, Vietnamese sausage, red sticky rice, thit heo kho etc. Thit heo kho is recipe consisting of pork and eggs in coconut juice. Coconut water is the clear liquid inside the coconut. It helps in losing weight, gives glow to our skin, reduces effect of hangover, facilitates digestion, boosts hydration and reduces blood pressure. Moreover pork is good for you, full of life-preserving nutrients and vitamins. It's combination with coconut water and hot spices is superb. I would love to pair it up with traditional sticky rice. This recipe is a breakdown of New Year food staples right from Asian cultures.

Ingredients:-

4 star anise,

375 ml water,

60 ml fish sauce,

½ chopped onion,

750 ml coconut juice,

60 ml light soy sauce,

1 kg pork belly cubes,

2 chopped garlic cloves,

2 chopped spring onions,

2 tablespoons brown sugar,

4 chopped French shallots,

1 tablespoon vegetable oil,

Green onion for garnishing,

8 hard-boiled and peeled eggs,   

1½ tablespoons dark soy sauce,

½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper.

Preparation Method:-

1. Combine shallots, spring onion, pork, garlic, fish sauce, soy sauces, pepper, sugar and star anise in a bowl. Stir to coat the pork. Marinate in the refrigerator for at least 3 hours.
2. Heat the oil in a large, heavy-based saucepan over medium-high heat and add the onion. Fry until golden then remove the pork from the marinade and add to the pan. Seal over high heat.
3. Add the marinade, coconut juice and water. Bring to the boil and skim off any scum that rises to the surface. Gently simmer for 1 hour, skimming occasionally.
4. Add the eggs and simmer for a further hour. Garnish with coriander and serve with jasmine rice.
   

Happy New Year!