Varutharacha Pork Curry/ Pork in fried and ground coconut gravy

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  The spicy curry cooking on the stove and a cloudy weather outside is just what I need on a lazy day like today.

  With this kind of weather you can hardly blame me if spicy rich food invades my mind.  I know I talked about doing an Italian fare this week but I just couldn't help myself.  I am too Malayalee I suppose.  Rainy, cloudy weather is reminiscent of monsoon holidays and comfort food.  Therefore, will you forgive me? Shall we take a look at a spicy, tantalizing fare?

   The curry is cooked with pork shoulders.  The shoulder meat is lined with gooey fat (gooey when cooked) making the taste exquisite.   Now, here I am not blowing smoke about my culinary skills.  I am just saying pork shoulder meat has a lot of fat and it's very tasty.  Thanks to J my friend who suggested I buy pork shoulder for curry.

  Now to brag just a little about the curry.   The gravy has a nutty flavor exuding from the fried coconut.  This teamed with curry leaves and all the other spices makes it quite South Indian which means utterly tasty.  A 'hit your senses' kind of dish ironing smooth with coconut.  If you have not yet cooked with this gravy you should.  Agreed it's pungent and the dish bursts with a medley of flavor.  Even then the fried coconut, to repeat myself, adds dimension soothing the piquant spices.  For me, it recreate the smell and taste of Kerala.  I know I said I will just brag a lil but you see..Sigh! Couldn't help myself.

Anyways,  to get you down from the high of a host of spices bite into Brussels sprouts.  The wedges arev sauteed in butter to perfection(read a little crunchy yet cooked).  Heat oil in a pan add 'I can't believe it's not butter' wait till it melts and plop in the wedges.  Stir it around briskly till the white of the sprouts are mottled with brown.  You may be thinking "what the heck" well, I understand your sentiments.  Mixing Indian and a totally American recipe may sound ludicrous but believe me spicy curry served with hot jasmine rice and buttery sprouts are complementary.  

Now, without further ado.....   



Ingredients:

Pork - 2.65 lbs
Turmeric - 1/2 Tspn
Salt - 1/2 Tspn

Saute:
Ginger - 2 Tbspn chopped
Garlic - 2 Tbspn
Onions - 1 Big
Tomato - 2 medium size (tomato on wine kind)
Oil - 1 Tbspn

For Dry Frying

Fennel Seeds - 1 1/2 Tbspn
Cumin Seeds - 1 Tspn
Star Aniseed - 1/2 of one
Cloves - 8 nos
Cardamom - 3 nos
Cinnamon Stick - 2 inch
Whole Pepper Corns - 1/2 Tbsp

Grated Coconut - 1/4 cup
Chili Powder - 1 Tbspn
Coriander Powder - 1 Tbspn
Turmeric Powder - 1/2 Tspn



Method:

1. Take meat, 1/2 tspn turmeric and salt; pressure cook for 3 whistles set aside.

2. Dry fry all the whole spices and ground to a powder
2. Roast the grated coconut to a light brown color add chili powder, coriander and turmeric powder and saute. Keep stirring to avoid burning the coconut and the powders. Dry grind till you powder this and add some water and grind it to a fine paste
3. Heat oil in a pan, saute onions followed by ginger and garlic; two sprigs of curry leaves
3. Add tomato and saute add the ground spice mix
4. Add the meat and all its water to the above and cook off the water at least half of it.
5. Add the ground coconut mix



Contributor: Sunitha