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Phagshapa

Strips of fatty pork stewed with radish and dried red chillies, cooked in their own fat with no oil — simple Bhutia-Lepcha comfort.

Ingredients

• 500 g pork belly with fat, cut in thin strips
• 1 medium white radish, cut in thick strips
• 6 dried red chillies, broken
• 1 tbsp ginger, julienned
• 3 garlic cloves, sliced
• 1 onion, sliced
• 2 green chillies, slit
• salt to taste

Method

1. Put the pork strips in a heavy pan without oil and cook on medium heat for 15 minutes, stirring, until the fat renders and the pork browns.
2. Add the onion, ginger and garlic and fry in the pork fat for 3 minutes.
3. Add the dried red chillies and fry 1 minute until they darken slightly.
4. Add 1.5 cups water and salt, cover and simmer 20 minutes until the pork is nearly tender.
5. Add the radish strips and green chillies and cook 10 minutes more until the radish is soft and translucent.
6. Cook uncovered for 5 minutes so the gravy thickens and clings to the meat.
7. Serve hot with steamed rice.

Tip: Use proper fatty pork belly — the dish is named for its fat (phag = pork, sha = meat). No oil is needed at all.