Love all things pork? Why not try cooking it at home? Check out five must-make recipes that are too lip-smacking not to feast on. Spicy Indian curry, Thai delight, healthy salad or crispy spring rolls — there’s something for all kinds of pork lovers.
Pork keema curry
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A spicy and aromatic pork curry cooked with aloo and teamed with some steamed rice is soul food.
Ingredients:
- Curry cut pork: 1 kg (70:30 meat-fat ratio)
- Diced potatoes: 2 large
- Finely chopped onions: 1 large and 1 medium
- Diced tomato: 1 large
- Ginger-garlic paste: 1.5 tablespoons
- Green chilli paste: 1 tablespoon
- Dry red chilli and lime juice paste: 1 tablespoon
- Kashmiri red chilli powder: 1 tablespoon
- Cumin-coriander powder: 1.5 tablespoons (1:1 ratio)
- Turmeric powder: 1 tablespoon
- Green chillis: 2-3, slit
- Bay leaf: 1 large
- Whole garam masala: 1 tablespoon
- Kasuri methi: 1.5 teaspoons
- Hung curd: 4 tablespoons
- Salt
- Sugar
- Mustard oil
Recipe:
- Marinate pork with ginger-garlic paste, green chilli paste, ½ teaspoon Kashmiri red chilli powder, coriander-cumin powder, turmeric powder, salt, curd and mustard oil. Keep aside for at least 30 minutes.
- Fry onions till golden brown. Make a fine paste once cool.
- Marinate potatoes with salt and turmeric powder and fry until golden brown.
- Heat mustard oil, add bay leaf and garam masala, saute well.
- Add Kashmiri red chilli powder, saute for 5-7 seconds and add the red chilli paste. Cook well for 1-2 minutes.
- Add fried onion paste and saute for a couple of minutes.
- Add pork and mix well with the spices. Cook uncovered on medium to high flame for 5-7 minutes. Stir occasionally to avoid burning or sticking.
- Lower the heat, cover with a lid and continue the cook for another 20-25 minutes. Once oil leaves the meat, add slit green chillis and some warm water to make the gravy.
- Cook till the pork is 90% ready (you can also use a pressure cooker and cook till 2 whistles) and add the potatoes. Cook till the potatoes are done (1 whistle if it is pressure cooked), check seasoning and add hand-crushed kasuri methi.
- Serve hot with rice or Indian bread of your choice.
Thai Pork Red Curry
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A quick Thai red curry with loads of pork, some mushrooms and veggies is #bliss in a bowl after a long week.
Ingredients:
- Boneless pork: 500 gm, sliced
- Onion: 1 large and 1 small, sliced
- Garlic: 1 tablespoon, finely chopped
- Galangal: 1 tablespoon, finely chopped
- Coconut milk: 200ml
- Thai red curry paste: 4-5 tablespoons
- Mushrooms: 8-10, chopped
- Italian basil: 2 leaves
- Green chilli: 2-3, finely chopped
- Spring onion: ½ small cup, finely chopped
- Baby corn: 6-7, sliced
- Broccoli: ½ small cup, diced
- Carrots: ½ small cup, diced
- Zucchini: ½ small cup, diced
- French beans: ½ cup, chopped
- Soy sauce: 1 teaspoon
- Kaffir lime leaves: 1
- Lemongrass: 1.5 tablespoon, chopped
- Lime juice: 1 tablespoon
- Black pepper powder: ½ tablespoon
- Black peppercorns: 1 tablespoon
- Salt
- Sugar
- Vegetable oil
Recipe
- Marinate the pork with salt, sugar, lime juice and black pepper powder and set aside for 10-15 minutes. Boil the pork and drain the stock.
- In a frying pan, add oil and heat. Add whole black peppercorns and the Thai red curry paste. Cook for 2-3 minutes and add onions. Saute for 3-4 minutes before adding the galangal and garlic. Saute for another 4-5 minutes.
- Add finely chopped green chillis and the vegetables — baby corn, broccoli, carrots, zucchini and French beans. Mix well and cook for 5-6 minutes.
- Add coconut milk and mix the ingredients together.
- Add the pork and mushrooms. Saute for 3-4 minutes and cover. Cook for 7-10 minutes on low to medium flame. Add some pork stock at this stage.
- Uncover the lid and add basil leaves, lime leaves, lemon grass, spring onions, soy sauce, salt and sugar. Check seasoning and cook for 2 minutes.
- Remove the lemongrass and serve piping hot.
Spicy pork ribs
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Who said you have to head to a restaurant for some sumptuous pork ribs? Check out this recipe, pour yourself some wine and groove into the weekend.
Ingredients:
- Pork ribs: 500 gm
- Garlic: 1 tablespoon, grated
- Ginger: 1 tablespoon, crushed
- Lime juice: 1.5 and ½ tablespoon
- Black pepper powder: 1 tablespoon
- Red dry chilli- green chilli- honey paste: 3 tablespoons (1:1:2 ratio)
- Lemon zest: ½ teaspoon
- Cinnamon powder: ½ teaspoon
- Melted butter: 200 gm
- Salt
- Brown sugar
Recipe
- Marinate the pork ribs with ginger and garlic, lime juice, black pepper powder, red chilli paste, cinnamon powder, salt and brown sugar. Keep aside for at least 15-20 minutes.
- If using the microwave, preheat for 15 minutes at 180°C. Grease the baking tray and place the ribs. Top with some melted butter. Cook at 180°C for 30-45 minutes, checking every now and then.
- If using the gas oven, heat some butter in a nonstick frying. Place the ribs, cover and cook on low to medium heat for 30-45 minutes, checking at intervals.
- Don’t forget to add some pork stock or butter to stop the ribs from burning.
- Take the ribs in a mixing bowl once ready, add lemon zest and give it a good shake. Serve hot.
Green papaya and pork salad
Wikicommons
Want to eat pork and eat healthy too? Here’s a salad that fulfils your wish.
Ingredients
- Boneless pork: 300 gm
- Ginger-garlic juice: 1 teaspoon
- Lime juice for marination: 1 teaspoon
- Lime juice for salad dressing: 1 tablespoon
- Black pepper powder: 1 tablespoon
- Green papaya: 1 large cup, grated
- Onion: 1 large, finely chopped
- Tomato: 1 large, finely chopped
- Green chillis: 2, finely chopped
- English cucumber: 1 large, finely chopped
- Garlic: 2 cloves, finely chopped
- Sun-dried tomatoes: 7-8
- Green olives: 5-6
- Jalapeno- 6-8
- Chilli oil: 2 tablespoons
- Olive oil for salad: 1 tablespoon
- Olive oil for papaya and pork: 1 teaspoon + 2 tablespoon
- Rock salt
Recipe
- Marinate pork with ginger-garlic juice, salt and lime juice. Keep aside for 10 minutes. Boil for 10-15 minutes or until they are ready to eat and drain the pork stock.
- Add 2 tablespoons olive oil in a frying pan and add the chopped garlic. Saute till golden brown; fry the pork for 3-5 minutes.
- Cut the pork pieces into thin strips.
- Take 1 teaspoon olive oil in the same pan and add the grated papaya. Cook for 3-5 minutes and turn off the heat.
- Add all the ingredients in a mixing bowl and assemble.
- Check seasoning and serve.
Tip: You can batch cook this salad and store for up to 2-3 days. Don’t add salt if you are storing it for later.
Pork spring rolls
Wikicommons
Spring some pork spring rolls on fam or pals. Perfect for adda. #weekendsorted
Ingredients
- Pork keema: 400 gm
- Bay leaf: 1 large
- Whole onion: 1 small
- Whole garlic: 2 pods
- Onion-ginger-garlic paste: 1 tablespoon
- Tomato paste: 1 tablespoon
- Green chilli paste: 1 tablespoon
- Red chilli paste: 1 tablespoon
- Lime juice: 1 tablespoon
- Black pepper powder: 1 teaspoon
- Dry roasted coriander powder: 1 teaspoon
- Finely chopped green chilli: 2
- Finely chopped shallots: 1 small cup
- Store bought spring roll sheets: 7-8
- Salt
- Sugar
- Vegetable oil
- Chaat masala
Recipe
- Boil the pork with one bay leaf, whole onion and whole garlic pods till 2-3 whistles or until the pork is completely cooked.
- Drain the water (and store it for later use). Cool the keema and make a quick paste by adding the pork, whole onion and garlic pods in a blender. Don’t forget to remove the bay leaf.
- Add 2-3 tablespoons of vegetable oil in a frying pan. Add the onion-ginger-garlic paste and saute for 3-4 minutes. Add the tomato paste, green chilli paste and red chilli paste. Mix well and saute for around 5-7 minutes.Add the pork and mix.
- Add the coriander powder, black pepper powder, lime juice, salt and sugar as per taste and cook for another 7-10 minutes.
- Soak any remaining water residual from the pork.
- Cool the pork, add shallots and green chilli, and check seasoning.
- Take one spring roll sheet each, add filling and seal well with some water on the fingertips.
- Deep fry until golden brown and serve hot. Don’t forget to sprinkle some chaat masala on the top.
