Tangy sweet-spicy Mangalorean pork
In India, most Hindus do not eat beef or pork. Traditionally the royal families, the warrior class, and some communities like the Coorgi’s from the south eat wild boar which was available during hunting season. The Catholics from Goa and Mangalore do eat pork as well as in communities in North-east India. The Goans have their Vindaloo made famous by restaurants over the world, but a much lesser-known recipe is this Mangalorean one. My father hails from here so I have a special affinity for this recipe. It differs from the Goan version by the use of rum as well as tamarind and mint, giving it a special flavour profile and tang, as well as is less spicy. Since it had rum as a preservative, this pork dish was part of the tiffin to travel with. It looks like a long list of ingredients; I assure you it is simple to cook. Made a day in advance enhances the taste tremendously!
1 tsp=5ml/ 1tbsp=15ml/1 cup=225ml
| 800g - 1kg pork – half neck or loin and half belly/ thick bacon- cut into about 4x4cm cubes | |
| Marinade with: 1 tsp salt ,½ tsp turmeric, ¾ tsp black pepper | |
| Rub the pork with turmeric, pepper & salt, keep in a container and marinate overnight- 6-8 hours in the fridge. (I keep the bacon & neck/loin pieces separate as used while cooking) | |
| Keep it out of the fridge for an hour to come to room temperature. | |
| Dry roasted masala: | |
| 5-6 Kashmiri chilies (mild Hungarian or Spanish chilies can replace Kashmiri) | |
| 2 stick cinnamon bark- 4 cm each (Cassia- Indian cinnamon) | |
| 10 cloves | |
| ½ tsp black peppercorns | |
| 1 tsp cumin | |
| ½ tsp mustard seeds | |
| 1 tsp raw rice grains | |
| 7-10 raw cashews-chopped | |
| Heat a small pan & then on low heat, roast the spices together till they are aromatic- 2-3 minutes. | |
| Roast the rice grains separately till cream-coloured. | |
| In a mortar-pestle, pound the cinnamon into a coarse powder. Grind all spices and rice grains into a powder in a blender. Add the cashews last and grind further. | |
| Wet masala: | |
| 2 tsp oil + 1 large onion: Fry the onion in the oil till it is translucent- let cool. | |
| 5 cloves garlic (if small use 7) | |
| 40g / small lemon-size tamarind (de-seeded)– soaked in ¼ cup hot water | |
| 1 heaped tbsp raisins- soaked in some hot water to swell up. | |
| 1 tbsp malt vinegar/ or half balsamic half cider vinegar | |
| Add the cooled onion and the rest of the ingredients to the dry masala and grind to a smooth paste. Rinse the blender with ½ cup water & reserve the water for cooking. | |
| 2 large onions- vertical & thinly sliced | |
| ¼ cup dark Rum/ Port | |
| 3 sprigs of mint- leaves separated |
Tangy sweet-spicy Mangalorean pork In India, most Hindus do not eat beef or pork. Traditionally the royal families, the warrior class, and some communities like the Coorgi’s from the south eat wild boar which was available during hunting season. The Catholics from Goa and Mangalore do eat pork as well as in communities in North-east...
| 1. | Heat a wide casserole or pan. Add a tbsp of oil to coat the base. |
| 2. | Add the marinated bacon first to the pan. On a med-high heat fry the bacon till it oozes its fat. Allow to sear and lightly brown. Drain & remove to a plate. |
| 3. | To the fat in the pan, now add the rest of the pork, roast & brown lightly all over. Remove to plate of bacon. |
| 4. | In the remaining fat add the 2 sliced onions, fry for 5-7 mins. till they are golden in colour. |
| 5. | Add the ground masala paste, lower heat, stir-fry for 3-5 minutes. Add the rinsed-out masala water from the blender. |
| 6. | Cover & cook for 3 minutes. |
| 7. | Add all the pork, about ½ cup water, the Rum/ Port, and salt to taste. |
| 8. | Cover & cook till the pork is flaky & tender. About 45-60 minutes. |
| 9. | Halfway through add the mint. Taste again, sauce should be sweet & tangy with a hint of spice. Adjust vinegar or sugar and a fresh grind of pepper to finish. Cook till done. |
| 10. | Traditionally served with Sanna’s (rice cakes) or with Appam (recipe is included in the Bread section). |