Black Pork Curry

Everything I read tells me that black curry is essential to Sri Lankan cuisine. I can believe that premise, but I have spent a lot of time trying to find an answer as to why that would be the case. Readers of this blog know of my love for curries generally and of Sri Lankan cuisine in particular. (Quick update for others: Sri Lanka basically curries everything.) 

There are a wide range of curry powders in Sri Lanka, but black curry seems to stand out.  It seems to be a uniquely Sri Lankan curry powder. (There is a "black curry" that arose in Japanese cuisine, but it is different than what I am talking about here - that will be saved for another post.) I have not been able to find a similar curry blend in any of the other subcontinent cuisines. 

It may be simply another way to describe roasted curry powder, which is definitely a Sri Lankan thing. I have a lot of roasted curry powder on hand and have used it to prepare roasted curry wings and an oyster curry.

For this recipe, I have prepared a black curry featuring pork. The curry mix combines roasted Sri Lankan curry powder with some other traditional ingredients, such as cardamom, cinnamon, and black pepper. The use of tamarind also helps to darken the color of the mixture, perhaps adding to the description of a black curry. The only substitution that I made was to add a roasted chile powder, which I had purchased from a Sri Lankan market a while back. That powder was also extra hot, which helped to reinforce the kick of this dish. 

In the end, this black pork curry was amazing. The only downside is that, while it serves four, I found myself eating a serving for two because it was so good. I will definitely need to make this dish more often. 

BLACK PORK CURRY

Recipe from The Flavor Bender

Serves 4

Ingredients (for the marinade):

• 4 teaspoons black pepper, whole
• 6 cardamom pod seeds, crushed
• 1 heaping teaspoon of Sri Lankan roasted curry powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
• 3 teaspoons tamarind paste

Ingredients (for the curry):

• 1.5 pounds pork loin chops or shoulder
• 2 jalapeno peppers, sliced (or serrano peppers) for more heat
• 1 inch of peeled ginger, minced
• 3 garlic cloves minced
• 1/2 medium onion, chopped
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice (optional)
• 2-3 bay leaves
• 1 tablespoon sugar
• Salt to taste

Directions:

1. Prepare the pork. Cut the pork into 1/2 to 1 inch cubes. If the pork has bones, add those to the curry as well. 

2. Prepare the masala. Crush the cardamom pods into a powder and mix it with the black pepper, curry powder, salt, cinnamon and cayenne pepper. Crush and mix all of this together using a mortar and pestle. Add 2 tablespoons of this spice mix, tamarind paste and 1 tablespoon of oil to the pork and mix to coat. Leave to marinate for a few hours or overnight in a refrigerator.

3. Prepare the curry. Heat 2 tablespoons of oil in a saucepan over medium heat. When the oil is hot, add the bay leaves, ginger and onions and sauté until the onions become translucent. Add the garlic and sliced jalapeno peppers and sauté for another 30 seconds. Add the marinated pork and sugar and stir t o mix well. Add about 1/2 cup of water and bring this to a boil. Lower the heat to medium low and let it simmer for 1 hour. Check on the curry and add extra water if it dries out.

4. Finish the dish. Taste and add more salt and some lemon juice if needed.

PEACE.