Toast the chilies, chopped cilantro roots, shallots, garlic, and grill the shrimp paste until fragrant.

Pound the cilantro roots with 1 teaspoon of salt until fine.

Add the chilies to the mortar, followed by the shallots and garlic. Once finely pounded, add the shrimp paste.

Add the tomatoes and pound until slightly crushed.

Mix in the ground pork or pound it together with the chili mixture.

Heat 4-5 tablespoons of oil and stir-fry the entire pounded mixture, stirring to prevent the pork from clumping.

When the tomatoes are soft and smooth, season to taste (aim for a balance of sour, salty, and sweet).

Garnish with cilantro leaves.

Note: Some recipes may not mix the pork and tomatoes before stir-frying, which is fine. I do it this way to ensure the pork blends well with the chilies and tomatoes, and it prevents the pork from clumping during cooking.