PORK VINDALOO

Pork Vindaloo image

Cooking Indian food at home for the first time isn't easy. You may not have Indian red chile powder, Kashmiri red chile powder or tamarind pulp on hand. But a trip to a specialty market, or some time spent online, will yield the pantry basics. This fiery vindaloo is an interesting and not very difficult place to get started.

Provided by Alex Witchel

Time 2h

Yield 6 servings

Number Of Ingredients 18

Ingredients

5 to 10 large garlic cloves, peeled
1 2-inch piece ginger, peeled and coarsely chopped
2 tablespoons cider vinegar
1/2 teaspoon ground turmeric
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 tablespoon Indian red chili powder (see note) or red pepper flakes
1 tablespoon Kashmiri red chili powder (see note) or Hungarian hot paprika
2 teaspoons kosher salt
2 pounds pork shoulder, trimmed of excess fat and cut into 1 1/2-inch pieces
1 inchwide ball of tamarind pulp (see note)
1/4 cup olive oil or vegetable oil
1 3-inch cinnamon stick
5 cloves
4 green cardamom pods (see note)
1 teaspoon black mustard seeds, coarsely crushed (see note)
1 cup finely chopped onion
1 large red bell pepper, cut into 1 1/2-inch pieces
Cooked rice for serving

Steps:

In a food processor or blender, mince garlic and ginger. Add vinegar, turmeric, cumin, chili powders and salt and blend well. Transfer to a large bowl, add pork and turn to coat well. Cover and set aside at room temperature for one hour.
Place tamarind in a bowl with one cup hot water. When cool enough to handle, crush tamarind with fingers to extract pulp clinging to fibers. Add another cup of hot water and mix well. Strain into a clean bowl, discarding fibrous residue.
In a large sauté pan, combine oil, cinnamon, cloves, cardamom and mustard seeds. Fry over medium-high heat until sizzling and aromatic, about 4 minutes. Add onion and cook, stirring often, until lightly browned, about 5 minutes. Add pork and cook, turning until lightly browned, about 6 minutes.
Add tamarind juice and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium-low, cover, and cook until pork is tender, about 1 1/2 hours. Add bell pepper and cook 7 minutes. Serve with rice.

Nutrition Facts : @context http, Calories 485, UnsaturatedFat 23 grams, Carbohydrate 10 grams, Fat 37 grams, Fiber 2 grams, Protein 28 grams, SaturatedFat 11 grams, Sodium 556 milligrams, Sugar 3 grams, TransFat 0 grams