Sonal Singh On Sonal's Table
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Courtesy my father who was a defence officer, I had the good fortune to be raised in various states of India. Dad would get transferred and off we would go, bag and baggage in tow. That probably is also the reason why I love travel. Mom is a fantastic cook. Consequently, our house always smelled good with food aromas permeating every corner.
Thanks to all these travels, I learned to eat and appreciate cuisine from various states. This recipe is one such recipe that I first tasted at the house of one of my Coorgi friends. It’s a succulent Pork curry which is a staple in Coorgi households. Sadly, the main ingredient is not readily available in most grocery stores in West India. Thankfully, amazon.in delivers.
Pork lovers will agree that pork meat has a succulence that is unmatched by Goat’s meat which is widely eaten in India.
COORGI PORK PANDI CURRY
INGREDIENTS
- 1 kg pork meat cut into medium sized pieces. ( I prefer on the bone as that has more flavour)
- 2 tsp oil
- ½ tsp turmeric powder
- ½ tsp res chilli powder
- ½ tsp black mustard seeds
- 8-10 fresh curry leaves
- 2 tbsp Coorgi spice powder (this is available on amazon.in or you can make your own as directed below)
- 1 cup pork stock (optional)
- 2 tbsp Coorgi spice paste (see recipe below)
- 1 ½ tsp turmeric extract (the original recipe calls for this but I have made it sans this and the taste is just as great)
- 5-6 cups water (for cooking)
- 2 tsp Kachampuli (this is a Coorgi vinegar and is one of the key ingredients. It is available on amazon.in)
- Salt and pepper powder to taste
To make Coorgi Spice:
- 2 tsp fenugreek seeds
- 1 tsp cumin seeds
- 1 tsp coriander seeds
- 2 tsp peppercorns
- To make the spice powder – Dry roast all the ingredients on a low flame. Cool and grind into a powder.
To make the Spice Paste:
- 4 small onions, roughly quartered. No need to chop them fine
- 1 inch piece of ginger
- 8-10 cloves
- 12-15 curry leaves
- 5-6 small green chilies
- I bunch coriander leaves (about 3-4 tbsp approx)
- 1 tsp refined oil
- To make the spice paste – heat oil in a pan. Once it is hot, add the ginger, cloves, curry leaves, green chillies and onions. Sautee this a low flame for a few minutes till the onions turn golden. Remove from heat and let it cool completely. Next, grind the cooled mixture along with the coriander leaves in a grinder to make a smooth paste. You can add water, if needed.
METHOD TO MAKE THE PANDI CURRY
- Add oil in a pan. After it heats up, add mustard seeds, curry leaves and let them sizzle. Add the Coorgi Masala and the masala paste and mix well for about 1-2 minutes till it starts giving off aroma.
- Then add half a cup of water, masala, half cup pork stock (optional. If you do not have this then just increase the quantity of water), Turmeric Powder and red chili powder.
- Sautee this well for about 6-8 minutes till the masala thickens and turns aromatic.
- Once done, add the pork, turmeric extract (optional), Kachampuli, pepper powder and salt to taste. Mix well.
- Add 4-5 cups of water. Cover the lid and allow to cook till the pork turns tender and the masala thickens.
- Once cooked garnish it with coriander leaves.
- Serve hot with rice.
