Coorg Pandi (Pork) Curry

I’d read this recipe many a times but was petrified to attempt it. Reason being, while I’ve cooked and eaten various meats, and offal, all my life, but when it comes to pork, I’d only eaten lots of it. I’d never cooked pork at home. Well, that was about to change coz when a friend mentioned he was visiting the local pork shop, I (bravely) told him to buy some for me. 😊 Once the oink reached me, there was no going back. Now, I had to cook it 😉 

Question: What recipe should I select for my first oink cook?
Fortunately, that decision was a no-brainer. I was extremely inspired by a very dear friend (Keroo) who had attempted a different Coorg Pandi recipe (via You Tube). Another reason being, I had sourced a bottle of Kachampuli Vinegar and was very eager to use it. 😊

This dish is nothing great to look at coz the Curry turns a dark, dark colour (nearly black) but flavour-wise, it’s a frikkin’ bomb! The kind that pleasantly explodes on your palate. 😊

Ingredients:

1½ kilo boneless pork chunks (with fat), wash and cut into 1½ inch cubes
2½ teaspoon turmeric powder
3 heaped teaspoons red chili powder (I used deghi mirch)
7 medium onions, peel and cut into large cubes
11 green chilies, break into 1-inch pieces (I used the long variety that’s not too spicy)
1½ pod garlic, peeled (weight AFTER peeling – 30 grams)
9 tablespoons Pandi Masala (recipe posted below)
1½ tablespoons Kachampuli Vinegar, or to taste
Salt to taste

Method: 

1. Marinate the pork chunks in turmeric powder, chili powder and salt to taste. Give it a good mix. Keep aside for 30 minutes.
   
   
   
   
   
2. Grind the onions, green chilies, and garlic into a smooth paste. Do NOT add any water to grind this as the onions will release quite a bit of its own. (In case you feel the need to add water, please add merely 1 tablespoon, no more) 
   
   
   
   
   
3. Add the marinated pork to a pressure cooker, add 3 tablespoons water (please do NOT add more) and pressure cook for 6 whistles. (IMPORTANT: Immediately lower the flame after the first whistle, and continue cooking on low flame for the next 5 whistles) 
   
   
   
   
   
4. Shut the stove after 6 whistles. Allow the pressure to release by itself and when the cooker has cooled down, open and remove the cooked pork into a large (non-reactive) vessel. (I used a large non-stick pan) 
   
   
   
   
   
5. Put the oink back on heat and when it begins to bubble, add the ground onion paste and give it a good stir and cook for 2 to 3 minutes on medium flame. 
6. Add the Pandi Masala and stir well to ensure the masala is well mixed into the bubbling gravy. 
   
   
   
   
   
7. Continue simmering for 3 to 4 minutes. 
   
   
   
   
8. Add Kachampuli vinegar. Give the gravy a good stir and simmer for 2 more minutes. 
   
   
   
   
9. Adjust seasoning and simmer for a minute more if adjusted. 
10. Serve with pau or soft steamed rice. (I preferred it with soft steamed rice)
    
    
    
    
    

Pandi Masala

11 tablespoons coriander seeds
4½ tablespoons cumin seeds
5 Byadagi Chilies
16 dry red Guntur chilies
1½ teaspoons mustard seeds
3 tablespoons black peppercorns
½ inch cinnamon
2 cloves
A handful of curry leaves
6 grains of fenugreek seeds

Before Roasting

Method: 

1. Roast each of the Pandi masala ingredients, SEPARATELY, until well roasted and quite dark in colour. Please roast each ingredient carefully, tossing them around all the time to ensure they do not burn. NOTE: Roast the curry leaves and chilies well, but not to a very dark shade. Just roast them well, until crisp.
   
   

   

   After Roasting 

   
   
2. As each ingredient gets roasted, keep adding them into a large plate to cool down. 
   
   
   
   
   
3. When the roasted ingredients are cool, dry grind them, together, into a powder. 
   
   
   
   
   
4. This will give you approximately 120-125 grams of Pandi Masala. Cool and store in an air-tight bottle. 
   
   
   
   
   
   

Chef Notes: 

1. Please note, Guntur chilies are spicy. Adjust the quantity of ground Pandi masala that you add to the gravy as per your tolerance. For us, this proportion was perfect! The final result was spicy and tangy without any of us having to use an ice pack the next morning. *evil grin* If you prefer a very spicy blend of curry, I suggest you increase the quantity of Guntur chilies. 
2. Please do NOT use lean pork for this recipe. 
3. The pork is cooked (in the cooker) on low heat, hence, please do NOT cut the pork smaller than 1½ inch chunks as chances are, the meat will disintegrate. Bigger chunks will be fine but do NOT cut the oink into tiny pieces. 
4. When you empty out the pork from the cooker, please remember to use a non-reactive vessel like enamel, stainless steel, or non-stick, as you will be adding vinegar to the gravy. 
   
5. You may take this recipe a wee bit further by sautéing the meat to a dry consistency, thereby turning the curry into a dry version of Coorg Pandi Fry. This can be served as a starter over crackers, as a filling for puff pastry or in vol-au-vent cases as party finger-food. 
   
   
   
   
   

   

   Coorg Pandi Fry (The Dry Version)

   
   
6. If 1½ kilo pork is a bit much for you, halve the recipe. 
7. I had sourced Kachampuli Vinegar (from Amazon) but if it is unavailable to you, you may substitute it with tamarind paste. The flavour will differ but the recipe will work with that, too. Also, adjust the tanginess to suit your preference. For me/us, 1½ tablespoons of Kachampuli was perfect. 
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
8. I checked out many recipes on You Tube, and finally homed in on two that I liked. While I mainly stuck to the ingredients and method used in Sidhartha’s Kitchen, the Pandi masala is a combination of Sidhartha’s recipe and another recipe. For the life of me I cannot find the second recipe, nor do I remember the name of the channel. Apologies for that! 
9. You may share the direct blog-link of the recipe/s but do NOT publish my recipes, and/or my photographs, on any blogsite or website without my explicit consent or attempt to pass off my recipe/s as your own. You will be held accountable for plagiarism.
   
   Some more photographs:
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
                                                                 Whole Spices Before Roasting
   
   
   
                                                                    Whole Spices After Roasting
   
   
   

Creamy Coconut Milk Prawn Curry

The mushroom version of this recipe was shared by my friend, Ravneet Arora, at a food forum, at Facebook. That was my first attempt at making a coconut milk curry. One day, the carnivore in me decided to omit mushrooms and add prawns instead. The result was stunning! For sharing the base recipe, Ravneet, thank you ever so much! <3

Ingredients:

2 tablespoon oil 

1 -1½ cups spring onions, chopped thick

1-1/2 tablespoon ginger-garlic paste 

1 teaspoon turmeric powder 

Salt to taste

400 grams prawns, cleaned and quartered

400 mils thick coconut milk 

1 heaped teaspoon coriander powder, roasted

1 level teaspoon jeera/cumin powder, roasted

½ -1 teaspoon amchur/dry mango powder

¼ teaspoon black pepper powder



Method:

1.    Heat oil in a kadai, add onions and sauté along with ginger-garlic paste until soft and ginger-garlic is cooked.

2.    Add prawns, salt, turmeric powder, black pepper powder, coriander powder and cumin powder, sauté on high heat till prawns are semi-cooked.

3.    Add coconut milk and cook until prawns are nearly done. Keep stirring continuously. 

4.    Add dry mango powder, cook for another minute. The prawns should be perfectly done at this point. Serve with soft, steamed rice.

Chef’s Notes:

1.    You can use a 400 mils tin of coconut milk. You can also use coconut milk powder to make coconut milk. I used 80 grams Maggi Coconut Milk powder to 400 mils water. 

2.    I had the curry with plain white rice, but I urge you all to try a small bowl of the curry just by itself. I promise you will love the flavor. 

3.    From experience, let me add; this curry is beyond excellent when had fresh. I had a wee bit leftover and I did not enjoy it when I reheated it the next day. Somehow the flavour and coconut milk texture was just not the same.

4.    Please try not to overcook the prawns. Keep all the prep ready (coconut milk - mango powder) and rest assured the prawns will turn out perfect.  

5.    You may share the direct blog-link of the recipe/s but do NOT publish my recipes and my photographs on any blog-site or website without my explicit consent or attempt to pass off my recipe/s as your own. You will be held accountable for plagiarism.