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Pandi Curry | Coorgi Pork | Kodava Style Pork

An intensely flavourful, rich & delicious pork curry that is a trademark of Coorg/ Kodagu cuisine is made with chunks of pork simmered away in a medley of aromatic spices & kachampuli, the quintessential Coorg style vinegar.
Course Main Course
Cuisine Kodagu
Keyword Pandi Curry
Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 30 minutes
Total Time 50 minutes
Servings 4

Ingredients

  • 1 kg pork with fat and skin cut into cubes
  • 10 fat cloves of garlic finely chopped
  • 1 Inch ginger finely chopped
  • 3-4 green chilies deseeded if required finely chopped
  • 10-15 curry leaves
  • 1 big onion finely sliced
  • 1 tsp red chili powder
  • 1/4 tsp turmeric power
  • 1 cup of water
  • little oil
  • Salt to taste
  • 1/2-3/4 th tablespoon Kachampuli adjust to taste * see notes for substitute

For the spice mix (to be dry roasted one by one and powdered)

  • 2 tablespoon coriander seeds
  • 1 inch cinnamon/cassia bark
  • 5-6 cloves
  • 10-15 peppercorns
  • 1-1/2 tablespoon cumin seeds
  • 1 teaspoon mustard seeds
  • 10-12 methi/fenugreek seeds don't add too much or it will lend a bitter flavour
  • 10-15 curry leaves optional but recommended

Instructions

  • Cook the meat with garlic, green chilies, curry leaves, onions, red chili powder, turmeric powder, little oil, water and salt till it is tender (Slow cooking the meat is recommended, however in order to save time it can also be pressure cooked for not more than 2-3 whistles depending on the quality of meat used) * see notes
  • Add the spice mix to the cooked meat. You may add a little oil but it's optional as there will be enough fat released from the meat. Cook on a slow heat for about 5-10 minutes till the water evaporate, the fat separates and the spices have blended well with the meat.
  • Do a quick taste check - add Kachampuli and more salt if required.
  • Remove from heat and serve hot with Kodava style rice rottis or neer dosa or rice.

Notes

1. Kachampuli or Kodava style vinegar is derived from a fruit called as Kudampuli in Malayalam and Gambooge/Malabar Tamarind/Garcinia Cambogia in English. If you don't have kachampuli you may substitute it with equal quantity of thick tamarind juice or lime juice. Kachampuli is available in most stores in Mangalore and in Lulu Hypermarket in Dubai, U.A.E in the section which stocks up on foodstuff related to Malabar/Keralite cuisine.
2. To speed up the task a bit we pressure cooked the pork that we purchased from Mangalore. However I do not recommend that you to pressure cook pork that is available in the UAE (usually imported from Brazil) as it is extremely tender and may turn squishy when pressure cooked. Slow cooking is the safest bet when you have no idea about the quality/tenderness of the meat.