I just adore Indian Curries made from scratch. This Goan classic (with a few Em’s tweaks) was as simple as they come and not too fiery so perfect for the family. Slow cooked, tender pork in a fragrant, spice packed sauce was delicious on its own but topped with sweet, toasted coconut bananas and a dollop of creamy yoghurt it was a perfectly balanced meal. Yum.
Prep time: 30 Minutes Cooking time: 2.5 Hours + 30 Mins (minimum) marinating time $$ Medium Budget
Serves 4
Olive oil for frying
800gm of pork scotch fillet, cut into 2cm chunks
2 tsp of yellow mustard seeds
1 tsp of cumin seeds
2 tsp of coriander seeds
3 cloves
1 brown onion, peeled and cut into chunks
3cm piece of ginger, peeled and cut into chunks
3 garlic cloves
2 tbs of apple cider vinegar
2 tsp of paprika
1 tsp of chilli powder
1 tsp of turmeric
1/2 tsp of garam masala
1 litre of water
Juice of 1/2 a lime
1 tsp of sugar
Sea salt and a good sprinkling of pepper
1 bag of baby spinach leaves
1/2 a bunch of coriander, roughly chopped
4 tbs of greek yoghurt, coriander sprigs and lime wedges for garnish
Brown or white rice and pappadums to serve
For the Bananas:
2 ripe but firm bananas, sliced
1 cup of shredded coconut, toasted in a hot, dry pan
juice of 1/2 a lime
Place half the mustard seeds, all of the cumin and coriander seeds and the cloves in a dry hot pan and toast for approximately 1-2 minutes or until fragrant. Once cooled slightly place them in a mortar and pestle or spice grinder with a pinch of salt and grind until nice and powdery.
Pop the spices, onion, ginger, garlic, vinegar, paprika, chilli powder and 1/4 of the water in a blender and blend until you have a fairly smooth paste.
Place the pork in a bowl with 2 tbs of the spice paste, the turmeric and a good sprinkling of black pepper and mix until the pork is well coated. Cover and place in the fridge for at least half an hour.
Heat the oil in a pan and once hot add the remaining mustard seeds. When they start to pop add the remaining spice paste and fry on a medium heat for 5-6 minutes or until it changes colour to light brown. Add the pork and take the heat up a notch. Stir until the pork is starting to brown (4-5 minutes) and then pour in the remaining water. Stir to combine, cover with a tight fitting lid and reduce the heat to a simmer. Cook for 11/2 hours or until the pork is nice and tender. Remove the lid and allow the liquid to reduce on a low heat for another half an hour. Add the sugar, lime juice and garam masala, season with salt and stir to combine. Have a taste and adjust any seasoning if you think it is necessary. Just before serving add the spinach and chopped coriander and stir through to wilt.
Place the bananas in a small mixing bowl and squeeze over the lime juice. Just before serving stir the coconut gently through the bananas. You don’t want to do this too early as the coconut will go soggy.
To serve, divide the curry between four plates topped with rice of your choice. Put a nice dollop of yoghurt on top and then spoon the bananas on top of the yoghurt. Garnish with coriander sprigs and lime and serve with crispy pappadums.