Khana Mu Krop has got to be among the top favorites at rice-curry shops (ร้านข้าวแกง) in Bangkok — even more so at stalls that make food to order (อาหารตามสั่ง) for you. It’s such a simple dish that’s done in a flash. Definitely one of those minimum-effort-maximum-satisfaction things.
You already know how to make it.
Remember stir-fried Chinese water morning glory (ผัดผักบุ้งไฟแดง)? The process is pretty much the same for that dish and this one. Replace the Chinese water morning glory with Chinese broccoli (kai lan or ผักคะน้า) plus some store-bought crispy pork belly and remove the fermented/salted soybeans from the mix, and you more or less end up with this dish. But if you need more detailed instructions, I’ve laid them all out for you here.
One last remark is that even though Chinese broccoli is the most traditional ingredient in this dish (that’s the “khana” in “khana mu krop“), there are other crunchy vegetables that work very well too. I’d like to suggest a few:
1. Broccoli
2. Broccolini
3. Green or savoy cabbage
4. Asparagus
5. Peeled broccoli stems
6. Pascal celery, sliced crosswise diagonally (So odd, but so surprisingly good.)
7. Green beans
8. Snow or sugar snap peas
9. Sliced Brussels sprouts (This one has received mixed reviews; try it at your own risk.)
Anything else you’ve used or think may work in this dish that I haven’t tried?
8 Responses to Chinese Broccoli and Crispy Pork Belly Stir-fry (ผัดคะน้าหมูกรอบ)