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Indian

Phagshapa

Non-vegetarian

A Sikkimese stew of pork fat strips cooked with radish, ginger and dried chillies — made without oil, so the pork's own fat carries the flavour.

Phagshapa is an Indian curry, ready in about 1 hour 15 minutes and made with pork belly, daikon and dried whole chillies. It serves 4 and is rated easy to cook.

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Prep
15 min
Cook
1 h
Total
1 h 15 min
Serves
4
Level
Easy
Calories
621

Ingredients

4 servings

Equipment

Method

  1. Step 1

    Put the pork strips in a dry pot over a medium heat and cook, stirring, until they release their fat and begin to brown.

    Food safety: Wash hands and boards after handling raw pork.

  2. Step 2

    Add the dried chillies, ginger, garlic (opens in a new tab) and onion (opens in a new tab) and fry in the rendered fat for 2–3 minutes.

    • 3 min
    • medium heat
    Onions frying golden in a pan
    How it looks · Photo: Magda Ehlers on Pexels

  3. Step 3

    Add the water and salt, cover and simmer until the pork is tender.

    • 30 min
    • low heat

  4. Step 4

    Add the radish and simmer until it is soft and translucent and the broth has thickened slightly. Sprinkle over the timur (opens in a new tab) if using.

    • 15 min
    • medium-low heat

    Food safety: Pork should be tender and piping hot throughout.

About this dish

Origin
Sikkim, India · Well documentedAlso eaten in Bhutan and among Tibetan communities.Also popular in NepalMore food from India
Dish
Lunch · Dinner · Curries · Stews & braises · Main courses
Cooking method
Stewed, Simmered
Taste
spicy (chilli heat), rich, savoury, peppery
Diet
No gluten ingredients · Dairy-free · No nut ingredients · Keto-style · Low-carb
All labelsNon-vegetarian · Whole-food focused · Paleo-style · No gluten ingredients · Dairy-free · Egg-free · No nut ingredients · No added sugar · Alcohol-free · Beef-free · Keto-style · Low-carb
Worked out from the ingredients. How labels work
Good for
One-pot · Budget-friendly
Cook more with
Pork belly · Daikon · Dried whole chillies · Fresh ginger · Garlic
Techniques
Simmering · Stewing

Allergens

None of the 14 major allergens appear in the listed ingredients.

Based on typical versions of these ingredients and not verified allergen-free. Brands differ and cross-contact happens, so always check labels. For severe allergies, follow your clinician’s advice.

Nutrition

621 kcal per serving

Calculated

1 serving ≈ 364 g · recipe makes 4

Where the energy comes from

  • Protein 8%
  • Carbohydrate 5%
  • Fat 87%
Nutrition per serving and per 100 g
NutrientPer servingPer 100 g*
Energy621 kcal171 kcal
Protein11.9 g3.3 g
Carbohydrate8.4 g2.3 g
Net carbohydrate5.7 g1.6 g
Sugars2.9 g0.8 g
Added sugars0 g0 g
Fibre2.6 g0.7 g
Fat60.1 g16.5 g
Saturated fat21.8 g6 g
Trans fat——
Cholesterol81 mg22 mg
Sodium793 mg218 mg
Salt equivalent2 g0.5 g
Vitamins & minerals per serving
Potassium
573 mg
Calcium
59 mg
Iron
1.5 mg
Magnesium
32 mg
Vitamin A (RAE)
34 µg
Vitamin C
27 mg
Vitamin D
—
Vitamin B12
0.9 µg
Folate (DFE)
35 µg

How these numbers were made

  • Calculated from USDA FoodData Central (SR Legacy) per-100 g values and the listed quantities.
  • *Per 100 g of combined raw ingredients; the cooked dish may weigh more or less.
  • Optional ingredients are not included: onion, sichuan peppercorns.
  • “—” means the value isn’t known for enough of the ingredients; it is never zero by default.
  • Values are estimates for guidance, not for medical dosing. U.S. Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service. FoodData Central, 2019. fdc.nal.usda.gov.

Good to know

Tips

  • Dried radish strips (sun-dried daikon) are used in Sikkim in winter and give a deeper flavour.

Common mistakes

  • Using lean pork — the dish depends on pork fat.

Serve with

  • Serve with rice and a fiery tomato achar.

Storage

  • Keeps 3 days refrigerated.

Reheating

  • Reheat until bubbling.

Original editorial recipe · FriendsPantry editorial · Not yet independently reviewed · Added · Updated

Recipe DNA

How this dish is built

Grouped by each ingredient’s role in the dish. Each band’s width is its share of the dish by weight. Choose a component to see what it does.

What the dish is built around

Main ingredient

  • Pork belly, cut into strips 1 cm thick450 g
  • Daikon, peeled and cut into thick batons450 g
Used in steps 1, 4

Reviews & corrections

Reviews come from signed-in cooks and appear after a moderator checks them. We never show made-up ratings.

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