Babi Assam - Pork in tamarind sauce

Ingredients

• 500 gpork belly or shoulder
• 3 tbsptauco
• 1 tsptrassi (shrimp paste)
• 7green lomboks (green chillies)
• 2red lomboks (red chillies)
• 5 clovesgarlic
• 1 tbsppalm sugar
• 3 tbsp tamarind pulp, dissolved in 275 ml water and strainedassam (tamarind)
• 2 tbspoil

Instructions

1. 1

   Prepare ingredients

   Cut the pork into pieces or slices. Finely chop the garlic.

2. 2

   Fry aromatics

   Heat the oil in a pan and fry the garlic, trassi and tauco for 2 minutes.

3. 3

   Brown the pork

   Add the pork and fry until browned.

4. 4

   Simmer with chillies

   Add the lomboks and strained tamarind water. Simmer for 60 minutes.

5. 5

   Stir in sugar

   Add the palm sugar and stir until it has dissolved. Serve.

What is Babi Assam?

Babi Assam is pork cooked with assam, or tamarind, in a sour, savoury sauce. It belongs to the Indonesian-Chinese cooking tradition, where pork and fermented soybean seasonings are combined with sharp and sweet flavours.

This version relies on tauco and trassi for depth, chillies for heat, and palm sugar to soften the tamarind’s tang. A long simmer brings the sauce and pork together.

Nutrition and macros by portion

The nutrition label shows one serving as written: 1750 calories, 0g protein, 0g carbs, 0g fat.

The pork supplies most of the protein and fat, while the palm sugar contributes carbohydrates; tauco and trassi also contribute to the dish’s saltiness. Pair a serving with rice and a generous portion of vegetables to make a more balanced plate.

The key ingredients

Tauco: this fermented soybean paste gives the sauce a salty, savoury foundation. Trassi, a pungent shrimp paste, adds another layer of savoury flavour.

Assam: tamarind pulp is dissolved in water and strained before it goes into the pan. This gives the pork a tart cooking liquid without the pulp fibres.

Lomboks: the recipe uses both green and red chillies. Their heat can vary, so the result may be milder or fiercer depending on the chillies you have.

Getting the pork ready

Cut the pork into pieces or slices before cooking so it is ready to brown evenly. Belly gives the sauce a richer character, while shoulder is a meatier alternative.

Finely chopped garlic is specified so it can fry briefly with the tauco and trassi. Keep an eye on the pan during those 2 minutes so the garlic does not catch.

Building the sauce

Frying the garlic, trassi and tauco in oil first gives their flavours a chance to mingle before the pork and liquid are added. Brown the pork in the pan as directed, turning the pieces as needed.

Once the tamarind water and chillies are added, the cooking changes to a 60-minute simmer. The recipe does not specify a lid, so keep the heat low enough for a gentle simmer and check that the liquid is not evaporating too quickly.

Balancing sour and sweet

The tamarind provides the sauce’s characteristic sourness, while palm sugar is stirred in after the simmer. Adding the sugar at the end makes it easier to taste how it balances the finished sauce.

Stir until the palm sugar dissolves completely. The sauce should taste tangy and savoury, with sweetness in the background rather than masking the tamarind.

Serving the dish

Serve the pork with steamed rice, which pairs well with the tangy sauce and makes a simple accompaniment. Spoon some sauce over the rice so none of it is left behind.

A plain vegetable side, such as lightly cooked greens, can round out the plate without competing with the bold seasoning.

Recipe notes & tips

• Use pork belly for a richer result or shoulder for a meatier one.
• Strain the tamarind water before adding it to the pan.
• Finely chop the garlic so it combines easily with the tauco and trassi.
• Keep the pork at a gentle simmer for the full 60 minutes.
• Stir the palm sugar in at the end until no grains remain.

Variations

• Adjust the heat: use fewer chillies for a milder sauce.
• Use shoulder: choose pork shoulder instead of belly for a meatier texture.
• Serve with rice: spoon the sauce over steamed rice.
• Add greens: offer simply cooked greens alongside the pork.
• Make ahead: cook the dish in advance and reheat it gently before serving.

Common mistakes to avoid

• Skipping the browning: fry the pork until browned before adding the liquid.
• Adding unstrained tamarind: dissolve the pulp in water and strain it first.
• Frying the garlic too long: keep it moving and limit this stage to 2 minutes.
• Boiling hard: maintain a gentle simmer during the 60-minute cooking time.
• Adding sugar too early: stir in the palm sugar after simmering, as directed.

How to store

Refrigerate leftovers in a covered container and use within 3 days. Reheat gently in a pan until piping hot, adding a small splash of water if the sauce has thickened.

Frequently asked questions