Dazz Switalla Flavour Secrets No.1 The Strand Chef www.no1thestrand.co.nz

Meal times in a flat full of bachelors in an old house are sometimes hectic, and all sorts of unusual customs are observed.

Like the gym freak, who devours eight boiled eggs a day, to the couch sloth, who always leaves part two of his meal in the microwave. Each member of the house cooks and eats their own style at about the same time in a kitchen the size of large closet; and they're often dependant on a tight budget. Sometimes, it's all too much cooking a small amount just for myself, so I often cook a larger quantity and reheat for the next few days.
Some dishes can be a disaster when reheated, but fortunately I know some meals that improve with age.
Curries with their blend of spices which also act as a preservative often last a long time and taste better as they age. A few weeks ago I gave you a rooster curry recipe, principally based on a Nonya chicken curry dish. Nonya cuisine is basically a blend of Chinese, Malaysian and Thai; and has some refreshing methods and interesting flavours. Having experienced it first-hand in Melaka and Penang, I know.
Tracking down recipes proved difficult, but a friend in Malaysia acquired a Nonya cookbook which takes pride of place in my cookbook collection.
Adapted from the book ‘Nonya Cooking: The Easy Way' by Terry Tan, here is the best dry-style pork curry I have tasted. It lasts for up to a week in the fridge – and – it keeps getting better.

Nonya dry pork curry

Ingredients:
2kg skinned pork belly
¼ cup oil
1 disc palm sugar
Sea salt
6 cloves garlic
3 large onions
10-15 candlenuts or macadamia
20 dried chillies
2 Tbsp belacan powder (substitute prawn paste)
2 Tbsp galingale powder
1 Tbsp lemon grass powder

Method:
After the pork has been skinned and washed, chill the meat. This makes it easy to slice across the grain. When chilled cut into 1cm thick slices, ready for cooking.
Heat a little oil and fry off the pork in batches in a hot pan or wok for about five minutes. This helps evaporate some of the moisture from the pork ahead of the next step.
Blend all spices, nuts, chillies, onion and garlic until fine. Heat the remaining oil, lower the heat and cook off the paste for about 10 minutes until the oil seeps out again. Stir well to prevent burning.
Now the hard part: add the pork and continue to cook, stirring almost all the time. The dish will change colour as the pork and spices continue to render and develop.
Continue stirring and cooking over a low/moderate heat until the colour is deep red/rich brown (about 30 minutes).
Season with the palm sugar and sea salt. This goes well with bread, mash, or rice.