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    Home » Authentic Thai Spicy Lemongrass Ground Pork Stir Fry

    Authentic Thai Spicy Lemongrass Ground Pork Stir Fry

    Last Updated Date: Sep 11, 2021 | Published: Sep 11, 2021 by Lane Souvannalith

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    Thai Lemongrass ground pork is a flavorful, simple, and spicy dish that you can make anytime of the week. This is a homestyle dish that you generally won't find in Thai restaurants.

    While some Thai recipes can be really labor intensive and super time consuming to make (which generally makes the dish absolutely worth it), this dish is so easy to make and can be done in a matter of minutes with the end dish stilling being absolute perfection.

    laos lemongrass pork stir fry khua ka pi 014

    Table of Contents

    • All About Thai Khua Bua La Pha
    • Asian Grocery Store Ingredient List
    • Tips and Tricks Before Cooking
    • Serving Thai Spicy Lemongrass Ground Pork
    • Frequently Asked Questions
    • Summary About Lemongrass Spicy Pork
    • More Thai Food Inspiration

    All About Thai Khua Bua La Pha

    Thai spicy lemongrass ground pork is known as Khua Bua La Pha.

    Why This Recipe Works

    It's flexible with the protein that you want to use for it. It doesn't have to be ground pork. The flavors are pretty much all in this dish, including sweet, sour, salty, tangy, and spicy. It's also a one pan dish that can be made in just a matter of minutes.

    Asian Grocery Store Ingredient List

    laos lemongrass pork stir fry khua ka pi 014

    Choosing Lemongrass

    Lemongrass provides a mix of ginger and licorice notes to the dish and has a unique favor. The lemongrass in this dish provides the harmony for the garlic and shallots. In Asian markets, you'll find the lemongrass in the fresh vegetable aisle. You can also found them in various forms like pre-ground, in plastic bags or jars, and even frozen. I would recommend getting fresh lemongrass if possible. You'll want to look for a firm stalk that is bright green on top, but has a muted yellow color on bottom. When stir frying, you'll be using the yellow base. When simmering, you'll often use the middle of the stalk (like for Tom Yum Soup).

    Kaffir Lime Leaves

    Kaffir lime leaves can also be found in the refrigerated section of the Asian grocer.

    Garlic and Shallots

    What you'll notice going to an Asian grocer is that garlic and shallots can be found relatively inexpensive as compared to your normal western grocer with a larger variety. Stock up on some shallots if you can.

    Bird's Eye Chili Peppers

    You can find the Thai variety of bird's eye chili peppers in most Asian grocers in the fresh food aisles. They generally come in small bags mixed with red and green peppers.

    laos lemongrass pork stir fry khua ka pi 014

    Tips and Tricks Before Cooking

    Different Proteins Are Okay

    If you don't necessarily want to use pork, you can use chicken or beef instead. I find that pork provides more fat, which in turn makes the dish a little bit more savory (and probably a little less healthy as compared to chicken and beef).

    laos lemongrass pork stir fry khua ka pi 014

    Food Processor for Lemongrass

    To mince the lemongrass, cut the lemongrass into half inch chunks. Then, add it to a food processor to mince it down. If you get a pulpy mess, that means that the lemongrass you choose was probably not the healthiest stalk.

    Serving Thai Spicy Lemongrass Ground Pork

    laos lemongrass pork stir fry khua ka pi 014

    To serve Thai spicy lemongrass pork, take a a simple bowl of jasmine rice and ladle the dish on top of the rice. For garnishing, you can always chop up green onion and cilantro together and sprinkle on top of the dish.

    laos lemongrass pork stir fry khua ka pi 014

    Thai Spicy Lemongrass Ground Pork

    Yield: 1
    Prep Time: 10 minutes
    Cook Time: 20 minutes
    Additional Time: 10 minutes
    Total Time: 40 minutes

    Learn how to make delicious and simple Thai spicy Lemongrass Ground pork right at home.

    Ingredients

    • 2 tablespoons of vegetable oil
    • 1 pound of ground pork
    • 1 stalk of lemongrass
    • 4 cloves of garlic
    • 3 large shallots
    • 4 Birdseye peppers
    • ½ tablespoon paprika
    • 1 tablespoon of granulated sugar
    • 2 tablespoons of fish sauce
    • 4 kaffir lime leaves
    • ½ cup of green onion, chopped
    • ½ cup of cilantro, chopped

    Instructions

    1. Cut the lemongrass into ½ inch pieces. Cut the shallots into ½ pieces.
    2. Using a food processor, add the lemongrass, garlic, shallots, and birdseye peppers together and pulse until the mixture is minced.
    3. On the stove, heat up the vegetable oil on medium high heat. Add in the processed mixture, kaffir lime leaves, and stir for 2-4 minutes until golden and aromatic.
    4. Add in the ground pork. Midway through cooking the pork, add in paprika, sugar, and fish sauce.
    5. Continue cooking until pork is done. Remove the kaffir lime leaves that were used during cooking.
    6. Ladle on plate, garnish with kaffir lime leaves, green onion, and cilantro on top.

    Notes

    Jalapenos can be used as a substitution for birds eye chili.

    Recommended Products

    As an Amazon Associate and member of other affiliate programs, I earn from qualifying purchases.

    • Cut and Sifted Lemongrass
      Cut and Sifted Lemongrass
    • Jasmine Rice
      Jasmine Rice
    Nutrition Information:
    Yield: 4 Serving Size: 1
    Amount Per Serving: Calories: 501Total Fat: 31gSaturated Fat: 9gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 19gCholesterol: 107mgSodium: 807mgCarbohydrates: 24gFiber: 4gSugar: 9gProtein: 33g
    © Sengerson, LLC.
    Cuisine: Thai Cuisine / Category: Pork Dishes

    Frequently Asked Questions

    Would someone who doesn't like spicy food eat Thai ground pork lemongrass?

    Thai lemongrass ground pork stir fry is generally made spicy, so someone who is sensitive to heat may not enjoy this dish.

    What is a substitute for lemongrass for this recipe?

    You can substitute lemon zest and juice for lemongrass by adding the finely grated zest and fresh juice from a lemon. It will definitely produce a different taste.

    Summary About Lemongrass Spicy Pork

    I hope you loved this simple spicy lemongrass pork dish as much as our family does. It's a really easy, delicious meal that can be made on busy weeknights that still provides a ton of flavor. It is exploding with flavor.

    More Thai Food Inspiration

    • Thai Kaeng Kari Kai
    • Thai Crispy Coconut Rice Salad
    • Thai Sticky Rice and Mango
    • Thai Tapioca Dumplings with Ground Pork



    Many of the links on this blog are affiliate links. CookingwithLane.com receives a small comission when certain items are purchased, but the price is the same for you. CookingwithLane.com is a participant in the Amazon LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com.


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    Meet Lane

    lane souvannalith
    Hi, I'm Lane! I love sharing my love of authentic Vietnamese, Lao, and Thai food! I moved into the states in the 1980s. During my life change, I brought along with my delicious recipes from Vietnam (my descent), Laos (where I was born), and Thailand (where I was a refugee during the war). I'm passionate about showing how anyone can make these delicious cuisines and how you can make it right at home! Learn more ...

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