Chili Tamarind Pork Chops

Chili Tamarind Pork Chops

Chili Tamarind Pork Chops

When you think of Indian cuisine, you don’t think of pork. A 1/3 of India is vegetarian, a 1/3 isn’t, and the other 1/3 falls somewhere in between, usually eating eggs and fish. Obviously, the Muslim population doesn’t eat pork. But the Hindu and Christian communities do. This chili tamarind pork chop recipe is a great example of how pork is used. You can either broil or grill the pork chops. They will take less than 10 minutes to cook. This marinade is also great on chicken and fish.
Prep Time15 minutes
Cook Time8 minutes
Marinating Time4 hours
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: Indian
Keyword: Indian, main course, Pork, South Asian
Author: Alex Gorgos

Equipment

  • Food processor or immersion blender

Ingredients

  • 3-4 bone in pork chops 1” thick
  • 3 tbsp vegetable oil
  • 1/2 medium white onion roughly chopped
  • 2 roma tomatoes quartered
  • 6 garlic cloves
  • 5 dried Kashmiri chilies
  • 1/2 tsp cumin powder
  • 1 1/2 tsp tamarind paste
  • 1/2 tsp cayenne pepper
  • salt to taste

Instructions

  • Soak the dried chilies in warm water for 15 minutes.
    Indian, main course, pork
  • Heat up 1 tbsp of cooking oil in a large sauté pan over medium heat. Add in the tomatoes, onions, and garlic.
    Indian, main course, pork
  • Sauté for 7 minutes until everything has a slight char. Let cool.
    Indian, main course, pork
  • Add the dried chilies, tomatoes, onion, and garlic to a good processor. Purée until smooth.
    Indian, main course, pork
  • In a separate bowl, mix together the cumin powder, tamarind paste, and cayenne pepper along with 2 tbsp of liquid the chilies soaked in. Mix that with the chili/tomato purée. Save a half cup of the marinade for basting.
    Indian, main course, pork
  • Marinate the pork chops for at least 4 hours, preferably overnight.
    Indian, main course, pork
  • Turn on your oven’s broiler. Place the pork chops on a rack on a baking sheet lined in foil.
    Indian, main course, pork
  • Broil for 2 minutes a side. Brush each side with a layer of the marinade.
    Indian, main course, pork
  • Broil for another 2 minutes a side. Let rest before serving.
    Indian, main course, pork
Indian, main course, pork