Chef's Notes
There are many ways to make the dish. This is the quickest I’ve found. Before I post the details, I want you to know that while I am giving you specifics (e.g. 10 peppercorns) I just chuck stuff into the dish. I’m not averse to throwing in 20 peppercorns or whatever number drops into my hand. And the dish I’ve made is random at best, but turns out delicious every single time. So if you don’t have any of the ingredients, don’t get stressed out. Try and get what you can, and take a stab at the dish. It’s simple. And tasty.
All this slow cooking shrinks the pork. So while you start out with a sizable amount, it kinda shrinks. Therefore I tend to use 2 or 2.5 kilos, (about 4 pounds or more) to make a dish. Don’t worry about it being too much. It will be a big hit and your biggest problem will be that it will be eaten too quickly.
Step 1: Marinate the Pork
- For 1 kg pork (about 2.2 pounds)
- 2 medium onions (finely chopped)
- A pinch of salt.
- A pinch of sugar.
- 1 tsp cumin powder
- 1 tsp chilli powder
- 1 tsp turmeric powder
- White Vinegar
- 8-10 dried red Kashmiri chillies (optional, but desirable for a nice red colour)
- 1 pod garlic
- 2 inch piece of ginger
Wash the meat. Pat dry.
Cut meat into square cubes (two inch cubes)
Grind ginger and garlic.
Mix the ground ginger, garlic, onion, salt sugar, spice powders (cumin, turmeric and chilli), kashmiri chillies, with about 4 tablespoons of vinegar.
Marinate mixture for about 12 hours in the fridge (though in some cases, I’ve marinated for less than an hour, with no perceptible difference in taste).
(All of this above should take you no more than 30 minutes, including cutting the meat).
Step 2: Cooking the Pork Over a Low Flame
- 8 cloves
- 10 peppercorns
- 3 inch piece of cinammon broken into pieces
After the 12 hour marination process, remove the mixture, put in a pan, and let it get to room temperature (if you have the time).
Cook it on low heat till juices exude. Stir occasionally, to prevent meat from sticking. Continue cooking for about 30-40 minutes, adding a tablespoon of vinegar from time to time.
When the meat is half done, add the whole spices (peppercorn, cinnamon, cloves). Cook for about 3/4-1 hour on a low flame, and taste the gravy. You may want to add more salt for taste.
An hour later (and mostly unsupervised) you’ve got a delicious dish.
Serve with hot white rice, or bread.