Pork Green Masala – Mangalorean Style
Green Masala based dishes are not just popular among the Parsis but also among Mangaloreans. Won’t be going into the details as I have already covered the probable origin story of the Masala in my Mangalorean Green Masala Mutton curry post. And if you are a pork lover but need a change from the Mangalorean staple-Dukramass, this Pork Green Masala recipe is for you!
How to make Pork Green Masala
The Green Masala that goes ito this recipe, is the same as my standard Green Masala recipe except that for Pork, I omit the coconut, and since cubed onions are used to add texture to the dish, the quantity of onions that go into making the masala paste is reduced. Prepare the paste as instucted in my standard recipe and set it aside & also reserve the masala water.
Before making the masala paste, marinate the pork with some salt & turmeric and set aside for atleast 30 minutes. Fry this marinated Pork in a Kadhai on medium-high heat until the meat has evenly browned and rendered some of its fat. Transfer the browned meat to a plate and in the rendered fat, cook the prepared green masala paste until its rawness goes away.
Transfer the browned meat to the Kadhai and gently mix until all the pieces are coated with the masala. Add the reserved masala water, give a good mix and bring the curry to a boil. Once the curry begins to boil, cover the kadhai and continue to cook on a low flame. When the meat is about 80% cooked and the curry begins to thicken, add the chopped onions and continue to cook until the meat is fully cooked to your liking. The consistency of the Pork Green Masala is left to one’s individual choice as to how thick or watery they prefer their curry. Also, although its a Green masala recipe, the final result will be more of a dirty green colour.
If short on time, skip frying the meat and add it directly to the kadhai after frying the masala. But for the best flavour, it is recommended to fry the meat. Pair the Pork Green Masala with a Pulao or any of the rice based preparations like Sanna & Neer-dosa.
Pork Green Masala – Mangalorean Style
Ingredients
- 1 Kg Pork Belly (cubed) (see notes)
- 2 Onions, large size, (cubed)
- Salt (as needed)
for Marination:
- 1 tsp Ground Turmeric
- 1 tsp Salt
for the Green Masala:
- 1 tbsp Coriander seeds
- 1 tsp Cumin seeds
- 1-1½ tbsp Black peppercorns (adjust to your taste)
- 1 Star Anise
- 1 inch Cinnamon
- 4 Cloves
- 1 Onion, medium size (roughly chopped)
- 1 pod Garlic Flakes
- 1 inch Ginger (peeled and roughly chopped)
- 5 Green Chillies (adjust to your taste)
- 1 cup Coriander leaves (stalks included)
- 2 sprig Mint leaves
- 1 ball Tamarind (marble sized)
for Garnish:
- Coriander leaves, chopped (as needed)
Instructions
Marinating the Pork:
- In a large enough bowl, apply the salt & turmeric to the pork
- Cover the bowl & set aside for atleast 30 minutes
Preparing the Green Masala: (see notes)
- Dry roast the coriander seeds, cumin seeds, black peppercorns, star anise, cinnamon and cloves on medium-low heat until they turn aromatic
- Transfer to a plate and fry the onions, garlic and ginger in the same pan until the onions turn translucent. Transfer them to the plate with the spices
- Once cooled, grind all these roasted ingredients with the green chillies, coriander leaves, mint leaves & tamarind with minimal water to a smooth thick paste
- Transfer to a bowl & set aside. Also reserve the masala water from the Mixie/ Grinder
Frying the Pork:
- In a large enough Kadhai/ Deep-dish pan, fry the pork in batches on medium-high heat just until the meat is browned evenly and has rendered some of the fat
- Carefully strain the meat and transfer to a plate
Cooking the Pork Green Masala:
- In the same kadhai, cook the Green Masala paste in the rendered fat on medium high heat until the raw smell goes away (see notes)
- Transfer the browned meat to the Kadhai and gently mix until all the pieces are coated with the masala
- Add the reserved masala water, give a good mix and bring the curry to a boil
- Once the curry begins to boil, cover the kadhai and continue to cook on a low flame
- When the meat is about 80% cooked and the curry begins to thicken (see notes) add the chopped onions (see notes) and continue to cook until the meat is fully cooked to your liking
- Garnish with chopped Coriander leaves
Serving Suggestions:
- Pair the Pork Green Masala with a Pulao or any rice based preparations like Neer-dosa & Sanna
Notes
- Any cut of pork would work for this dish as long as there is some fat content in it as this is a dish in which the meat is cooked in its own fat and juices. I prefer to use Pork Belly as I’ve found that it lends itself well to this dish imparting a near perfect consistency to this dish
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The masala can be prepared beforehand & stored in an air-tight container and refrigerated for upto a week or longer (if frozen)
- To save time, the meat could be added directly into the masala instead of pre-frying the meat but pre-frying will enhance the flavour profile of the dish.
- The consistency of the curry is left to one’s individual choice as to how thick or watery they prefer their curry
- I add the onions towards the end as I prefer them to have some crunch. If you wish you can add them right at the start if you don’t mind them turning a bit mushy
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