Pondicherry Pork

Mustard Pork Curry

OK it’s time to confess.

I’m guilty of photocopying recipes from cookbooks I’ve bought as gifts for friends before wrapping them up and popping an innocent bow on the them. Whilst I’m on the journey of forgiveness I may as well confess that I also upload CDs and DVDs to my library before passing them on as gifts. Yep, I also read the last pages of the novel before handing them over. So for those who’ve received the above as gifts from me, guess what...I’ve also enjoyed the best bits, sorry!

Having recently gifted the fabulously styled and illustrated Pork & Sons I couldn’t give the game away and rustle up one of its many imaginative French recipes for our dinner guests who were now in receipt of said tome. Of course I knew they were partial to pork but they were expecting something spicy and from the East. Yet perhaps there was a way to inject a little je ne sais quoi into the menu, after all France had at one time colonized a slice of India’s East Coast. Setting up their affairs in Pondicherry, which even to this day bears the touch of Gallic gastronomy where one can buy freshly baked baguettes, brioches and croissants. The French of course love the influence of mustard and the King of Spices, Pepper (once referred to as black gold) in their cuisine all of which are liberally used to create sublime subcontinent Indian curries.

My mission was clear, develop a French inspired pork and mustard curry. The mustard pork recipe began in the fridge with a pot of Maille grain mustard and a loin of pork fillet, my hands wandered to the spice larder and located the packet of Kasmiri dried chillies who’d been reserving their appearance for just the proper occasion. Later that evening, Pondicherry Pork Curry was born.

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How To Make Pork & Mustard Curry

Serves 4 with rice, flatbread or stuffed into a baguette!

Ingredients

  • 500g Pork Fillet
  • 1 onion, sliced
  • 3 garlic cloves, sliced
  • 3cm ginger, finely sliced
  • 1 tin of chopped tomatoes (approx 400g)
  • 5 dried red chillies (I used Kashmiri chillies), roughly chopped
  • 1 tsp mustard seeds
  • 1 tsp whole peppercorns
  • 1 tsp grain mustard
  • 2 tsp ground coriander
  • ½ tsp garam masala
  • 1 tbs medium hot curry powder
  • Salt to taste

Method

Create a paste

In a large bowl, tip in the chopped tomatoes, curry powder, ground coriander, grain mustard, water, dried chillies, garam masala and mix well.

Make the base

Using a wok or large frying pan, warm the oil over a medium heat and drop in the mustard seeds, as soon as they kick off and hop about sprinkle in the peppercorns, 30 seconds later, add the onions, garlic and ginger cooking until soft, translucent and musky about 3-5 minutes. Next, pour in the paste and allow to simmer for 10 minutes until it’s gently bubbling away and the ingredients have assimilated, taste and season with a little salt.

Finish it

Lay the pork fillet into the pan and coat thoroughly in the mustard curry sauce, frequently turning and cook for about 10-12 minutes. Make sure the fillet is springy but firm when prodded, remove the fillet cover it in foil and leave to rest for 5 minutes. Turn up the heat on the curry sauce and bring to a boil for a minute. Take off the heat, slice the fillet into medallions and spoon over the mustard gravy.

Tuck into this chilli pork and mustard curry with fervour.





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Mustard Pork Curry

OK it’s time to confess.

I’m guilty of photocopying recipes from cookbooks I’ve bought as gifts for friends before wrapping them up and popping an innocent bow on the them. Whilst I’m on the journey of forgiveness I may as well confess that I also upload CDs and DVDs to my library before passing them on as gifts. Yep, I also read the last pages of the novel before handing them over. So for those who’ve received the above as gifts from me, guess what...I’ve also enjoyed the best bits, sorry!

Having recently gifted the fabulously styled and illustrated Pork & Sons I couldn’t give the game away and rustle up one of its many imaginative French recipes for our dinner guests who were now in receipt of said tome. Of course I knew they were partial to pork but they were expecting something spicy and from the East. Yet perhaps there was a way to inject a little je ne sais quoi into the menu, after all France had at one time colonized a slice of India’s East Coast. Setting up their affairs in Pondicherry, which even to this day bears the touch of Gallic gastronomy where one can buy freshly baked baguettes, brioches and croissants. The French of course love the influence of mustard and the King of Spices, Pepper (once referred to as black gold) in their cuisine all of which are liberally used to create sublime subcontinent Indian curries.

My mission was clear, develop a French inspired pork and mustard curry. The mustard pork recipe began in the fridge with a pot of Maille grain mustard and a loin of pork fillet, my hands wandered to the spice larder and located the packet of Kasmiri dried chillies who’d been reserving their appearance for just the proper occasion. Later that evening, Pondicherry Pork Curry was born.

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