Instant Pot Thai Pork Curry (Low Carb, Paleo, Whole30)
A mouthwatering Thai coconut curry with tender pieces of pork shoulder simmered in a spiced aromatic gravy. This low carb, and paleo friendly curry is cooked in the Instant pot making it a very easy dish to make. Pairs very well over cauliflower rice for a delicious low carb dinner.
Equipment
- Knife and Cutting Board
Ingredients
- 3 Tablespoons coconut oil
- ½ cup aromatic curry paste recipe below
- ½ tsp salt
- 2 pounds pork shoulder cubed
- ½ teaspoon cayenne optional
- 1 tablespoon paprika
- 2-3 whole Thai chillies red or green
- 4 whole cardamom pods green or black
- 1 teaspoon coriander heaping
- 1 tablespoon black pepper
- 1 tablespoon ginger julienned
- 1 stalk lemon grass finely chopped
- 1 can full fat coconut milk
- water
- 4 tablespoons creamed coconut see notes
- ¼ cup lime/lemon juice
- ¼ cup cilantro to garnish
- toasted coconut optional topping
Aromatic Curry Paste
- 1 large onion roughly chopped
- 1 large bell pepper red or green
- 5-6 whole Thai chili peppers red or green
- 5 cloves garlic
- 1 cup cilantro roughly chopped
- 2 large lemongrass stalks finely chopped
- 2 tablespoons fresh ginger peeled and chopped
- 1 tablespoon turmeric root optional
Instructions
- Make the aromatic curry paste. Roughly chop all the ingredients in add them to a food processor. Blitz until a fine paste forms that consistency similar to a pesto or a chimichurri.1 large onion, 1 large bell pepper, 5-6 whole Thai chili peppers, 5 cloves garlic, 1 cup cilantro, 2 large lemongrass stalks, 2 tablespoons fresh ginger, 1 tablespoon turmeric root
- Saute the pork with the paste. Set the instant pot to sauté and add the coconut oil to heat, and once hot add the cubed pork shoulder, salt, and curry paste. Sauté until the pork is browned. About 10 to 15 minutes.3 Tablespoons coconut oil, ½ cup aromatic curry paste, 2 pounds pork shoulder, ½ tsp salt
- Cook off the spices. Make a well in the middle of the pot to expose the bottom and add the cardamom, whole chilies, coriander, paprika, cayenne, black pepper, lemon grass, and ginger to the well. Cook the spices for 2-3 minutes and then stir to combine with the meat.½ teaspoon cayenne, 1 tablespoon paprika, 2-3 whole Thai chillies, 4 whole cardamom pods, 1 teaspoon coriander, 1 tablespoon black pepper, 1 tablespoon ginger, 1 stalk lemon grass
- Add coconut milk. Add coconut milk to the instant pot, and a cup or two of water, just enough to almost cover the pork.1 can full fat coconut milk, water
- Pressure cook until tender. Press manual pressure cook on the Instant pot, and set the time to 15 minutes. Close the lid and make sure the rear vent set to the "sealing" position. It should be turned towards the back of the unit. It will take a few moment for the Instant pot to seal and the timer to start. Once the timer is done let the pressure naturally release for 10 minutes by leaving the vent knob in the sealing position, then turn the vent knob to the venting position the release any remaining pressure.
- Add creamed coconut and sauté. Set the instant pot to sauté and add the creamed coconut. Simmer for 5 minutes until the coconut has combined and lightened the gravy.4 tablespoons creamed coconut
- Finish off the curry, rest and serve. Add lemon juice, cilantro, salt to taste, and turn off the instant pot. Let the curry rest uncovered for 5-10 minutes and serve over cauliflower rice, or with your favourite veggie side dish.¼ cup lime/lemon juice, ¼ cup cilantro, toasted coconut
Notes
Leftovers and Storage:
Store leftovers sealed in the fridge for up to 1 week. This recipe actually tastes better the next day!
Reheating:
Reheat on the stove top, or covered in the microwave.
Creamed coconut:
Creamed coconut comes as a hard dried block that you chop apart into cube before using. If you cant find creamed coconut you can use coconut cream, more full fat coconut milk, or if you arent paleo, heavy whipping cream.
Aromatic curry paste:
The basics of the curry paste are in this post, if you want a deeper dive into the paste see my dedicated post.
This make more curry paste than you need, but it keeps very well and can be used for many other recipes.
Breaking down lemongrass:
Lemongrass has a hard outer portion that needs to be removed. You can slice it in half and peel away the tough portions, or beat it repeatedly up and down the length with the back of a knife to break it down before removing.
Nutrition
Calories: 548kcalCarbohydrates: 6.1gProtein: 29.9gFat: 44.1gSaturated Fat: 25.9gSodium: 390mgPotassium: 528mgFiber: 1.4gVitamin C: 14mgCalcium: 56.3mgIron: 2.7mgSugar Alcohols: 0.1gNet Carbs: 4.6g
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