Pork Vindaloo

Serves 6-8.

Ingredients

1 kg/2 lb pork
6-8 large dried red chillies
250 ml/8fl oz/1 cup coconut vinegar
2 teaspoons chopped fresh ginger
1 tablespoon chopped garlic
2 teaspoons ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground cardamom
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
2 teaspoons salt
2-3 tablespoons ghee or oil
2 medium onions, finely chopped
1 tablespoon brown sugar

Directions

Cut pork into large cubes. Soak chillies in vinegar for 10 minutes. If coconut vinegar which is quite mild is not available any kind of vinegar may be substituted, diluting it if very strong. Put chillies and vinegar, ginger, garlic, all the ground spices and salt into an electric blender and blend to a pur&eacutee. Pour over the pork in an earthenware bowl, cover and marinate for 2 hours.

Heat enough ghee or oil to cover base of an enamel or stainless steel saucepan. (Because of its acid content this dish is cooked in earthenware pots in India.) Fry the onions on low heat until soft and golden, stirring frequently. Drain pork from the marinade and fry on medium high heat, stirring, until it changes colour. Pour in marinade, cover pan and simmer on low heat until pork is tender. Stir in sugar. Serve with plain boiled rice.

Recipe excerpted from Encyclopedia of Asian Food by Charmaine Solomon (Periplus Editions, 1998)