Pork Belly Kadai

An unusual kadai dish

• CuisineIndian
• CategoryPork
• CourseMain

Ingredients

• 500 gmsPork belly
• 300 gmsTomatoes
• 50 gmsGinger, cut into straws
• 50 gmsGarlic, chopped fine
• 1 tspTurmeric
• 1 tspChilli powder
• 1 tbspCoriander powder
• 1 tspCumin powder
• 1 tspPepper powder
• 4Green chillies, sliced
• 1 tspGaram masala
• 3 tbspYoghurt, beaten
• ½ cupCoriander, chopped
• Ghee
• Salt

Preparation

1. Cut pork belly into 2 cm wide strips
2. Lay pork belly strips on their side in a pot, add turmeric poweder, chilli powder, chopped garlic, salt and add enough water to cover the pork pieces.
3. Add tomatoes cut in half
4. Cover, simmer and then place in an oven at 140°C for 2 hours
5. Remove from oven, remove pork pices and cut into cubes, carefully lift skin off tomatoes, discard and mash the tomatoes.
6. Hesat ghee in a wok and add pork cubes and brown. Add reserved liquid and heat on high heat
7. Add coriander powder, cumin powder, pepper powder, sliced green chillies and ginger straws and stir
8. Add beaten yoghurt and garam masala and stir
9. Stir in chopped coriander, shut off heat, cover and rest

There are not many pork belly karahi recipes and with good reason. Pork is taboo across Pakistan and most of India from where the karahi dishes originate. Which is a shame as pork belly has the right characteritics - renderable fat that is key to a good karahi, tender meat with a layer of fat and skin.

As usual, I have substituted a wok for a karahi. I have also used the oven to simmer the meat - low and slow without needing constant supervision.Pork has the benefits of red meat. It usually has a healthier nutritional profile associated with white meat but using the pork belly cut nullifies all that.