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Pork balchao

Name: Pork balchao
Total time: 1 h 40 min
Ingredients: vegetable oil 4 tbsp; onion 1, finely chopped; pork shoulder 700g, diced; jaggery or soft dark brown sugar 1 tbsp, (see notes below); malt vinegar 100ml; chapatis or rice to serve; cumin seeds 2 tsp; black peppercorns 1 tsp; garlic 8 cloves, roughly chopped; ginger 2 thumb-sized pieces, chopped; kashmiri chilli powder or mild chilli powder 1 tsp, (see notes below); ground turmeric 1 tsp

1 hour 40 minutes
serves 4
Easy

Balchao is a classic in most Goan homes. Often made with prawns, this pork version is divine. Cooked with chilli, vinegar and black pepper, the resultant balchao has a rich consistency, with the spiced gravy clinging to the pork

By Maunika Gowardhan

Published: September 20, 2019 at 4:10 pm

Ingredients

vegetable oil 4 tbsp
onion 1, finely chopped
pork shoulder 700g, diced
jaggery or soft dark brown sugar 1 tbsp, (see notes below)
malt vinegar 100ml
chapatis or rice to serve

PASTE

cumin seeds 2 tsp
black peppercorns 1 tsp
garlic 8 cloves, roughly chopped
ginger 2 thumb-sized pieces, chopped
kashmiri chilli powder or mild chilli powder 1 tsp, (see notes below)
ground turmeric 1 tsp

Method

Step 1

To make the paste, use a pestle and mortar to grind the cumin and black pepper to a rough powder, then tip into a small blender or food processor with the remaining paste ingredients and whizz until smooth.
Step 2

Heat the oil in a heavy-bottomed, lidded pan over a medium heat. Fry the onion for 18-20 minutes, stirring well, until deep golden and soft. Add the spice paste and fry for 2 minutes. Add the pork, mix well and cook for 8-10 minutes. Add the sugar, vinegar, 100ml of water and some seasoning. Lower the heat and simmer for 40 minutes with a lid on, stirring halfway through. Remove the lid and cook for another 15-20 minutes. Cool slightly and serve with chapatis or rice, if you like.

Kashmiri chillies and chilli powder are a vivid red and have a milder flavour. Jaggery is an unrefined brown sugar with a deep caramel flavour most often sold in blocks. Find all of them, and curry leaves, at Indian grocers, larger supermarkets and online.