Muu Tod Kapi
Serves 2 Cooks in 20 minutes Difficulty Easy
I know what you’re thinking when you hear “shrimp paste” – it sounds rather off-putting, doesn’t it? But please don’t let the name put you off this absolutely delicious Thai dish! Moo Pad Kapi, or Fried Pork in Shrimp Paste, is one of those wonderfully authentic Thai dishes that tastes so much better than it sounds.
Shrimp paste, or kapi as we call it in Thailand, has been a cornerstone of Thai cuisine for centuries. This fermented paste originated from the coastal regions of Thailand where fresh shrimp was abundant. Rather than waste the catch, Thai cooks would ferment small shrimp with salt, creating this intensely flavourful ingredient that adds incredible depth to dishes.
This dish is absolutely bursting with authentic Thai flavours – sweet, salty, and aromatic all at once. The shrimp paste might smell quite strong when you first open the jar, but once it’s cooked with the pork and other ingredients, it transforms into something magical. It creates this wonderfully rich, umami-packed sauce that coats the tender pork perfectly.
What I love most about Moo Pad Kapi is how simple it is to make at home. You can find shrimp paste at most Asian grocery stores, and once you have it, this dish comes together in just 20 minutes. It’s one of those quick Thai stir-fries that’s perfect for a weeknight dinner when you want to bring a real taste of Thailand to your table.
Though this isn’t one of my regular dishes at my Khao Lak Thai cooking class, it’s the type of authentic home-style cooking that I’m passionate about sharing. My recipes like this one let me offer you more of the traditional Thai dishes that might not fit into a single class but are absolutely worth trying at home.
This is true comfort food in Thailand – the kind of dish that reminds Thais of home cooking. It’s not fancy or complicated, just honest, flavourful food that’s been passed down through generations. Once you try making it yourself, you’ll understand why it’s remained so popular for so long.
If you can’t make it to my Thai cooking class any time soon, please do try this recipe at home. It’s such an easy way to experience authentic Thai flavours, and I promise it tastes far better than the name suggests!
Ingredients
- 300g belly pork cut into 1cm thick strips
- 2 tbsp shrimp paste
- 2 tbsp crispy flour
- 1 tbsp palm sugar (or normal sugar)
- 1/2 tsp pork stock
- Oil
Method
- Soften the shrimp paste with 30ml warm water
- Add the sugar and stock and mix well. Add in the pork and continue to mix until the pork is well coated. Leave to one side for 10 minutes to marinate.
- Add 1 tbps of the chispy flour to the pork and mix well.
- Heat a good amount of oil in a wok or frying pan. Add the remaining cripsy flour, then add the pork mixture and slowly stir-fry for 5 – 10 minutes until the pork is nice and golden.
- Remove the pork and drain well. Heat some fresh oil in the work or frying pan and fry the pork one more time until it is nice and crispy. Remove from the oil and drain.
To Serve
Serve immediately with steamed jasmine rice and some fresh cucumber slices, whole chilli and sweet chilli sauce to balance the rich flavours.
Please give this authentic Thai dish a try – I promise it’s much more delicious than it sounds! Hope you enjoy Moo Pad Kapi by Apple 🍎 Riverside Thai Cooking in Khao Lak.
