Sri Lankan Pork Curry

Sri Lankan Pork Curry

Sri Lankan Pork Curry

With Sri Lanka being 70% Buddhist, they are one of the few areas in South Asia that consumes my favorite meat, pork. This curry is traditionally cooked in a clay pot; but using a large sauté pan will work just fine. Ready in just over an hour, the curry is bursting with flavor. You can adjust the heat level by adding as many green chilies as you’d like. Serve the curry over steamed rice.
Prep Time10 minutes
Cook Time1 hour 15 minutes
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: Sri Lankan
Keyword: main course, Pork, South Asian, Sri Lankan
Author: Alex Gorgos

Ingredients

  • 3 tbsp coconut oil
  • 1 tsp black mustard seeds
  • 1 cinnamon stick
  • 1 tbsp cumin seeds
  • 20 curry leaves
  • 1 large red onion finely chopped
  • 1 tsp hot chili powder
  • 3 tbsp madras curry powder
  • 1 tsp turmeric
  • 2 tbsp ginger garlic paste
  • 1 tbsp tomato paste
  • 2 green chilies thinly sliced
  • 1 tbsp tamarind concentrate
  • 2 cups coconut milk
  • 3 lbs pork shoulder cubed
  • 1/2 cup chicken stock
  • salt to taste
  • 1 tsp garam masala

Instructions

  • Heat coconut oil in a large sauté pan over medium high heat. Sauté the mustard seeds and cinnamon stick for a minute.
    Sri Lankan, main course, pork
  • Add in the cumin seeds and curry leaves. Sauté for 30 seconds.
    Sri Lankan, main course, pork
  • Add in the red onions. Sauté for 10 minutes.
    Sri Lankan, main course, pork
  • Stir in all of the ground spices and ginger garlic paste. Sauté for 1 minute.
    Sri Lankan, main course, pork
  • Stir in the tomato paste, green chilies, tamarind, and coconut milk.
    Sri Lankan, main course, pork
  • Add in the pork. Pour in the chicken stock. Cover and simmer over medium low heat for 1 hour.
    Sri Lankan, main course, pork
  • Season with salt to taste. Sprinkle with 1 tsp of garam masala.
    Sri Lankan, main course, pork
Sri Lankan, main course, pork
Serve over steamed rice.

Madras Curry Powder

While the British claim to have invented madras curry powder in th 1960’s, it can be traced back to South India in the state of Tamil Nadu in the 1700’s. The spice was commercially produced and sold to the British army and government.
To make the curry powder, I recommend individually toasting all of the whole spices, since they all toast at different rates. Once all of the spices are cooled, grind all of them in a spice grinder. You can use the curry powder in a variety of South Asian curries; pairing well with just about every protein.
Prep Time20 minutes
Course: ingredient
Cuisine: British, Indian
Keyword: British, Indian, ingredient, South Asian
Author: Alex Gorgos

Equipment

  • Spice grinder

Ingredients

  • 3 tbsp cumin seeds
  • 3 tbsp coriander seeds
  • 2 tbsp black peppercorns
  • 1 tbsp fennel seeds
  • 1 tbsp black mustard seeds
  • 3” cinnamon stick
  • 2 bay leaves
  • 1 1/2 tbsp fenugreek seeds
  • 2 star anise
  • 10 curry leaves
  • 8 green cardamom pods
  • 1 tbsp ground turmeric
  • 4 dried Kashmiri chilies

Instructions

  • Individually dry toast all of the whole spices. Grind everything together in a spice grinder.
    Indian, British, ingredient