Slow-cooked Karnataka pork curry

SERVES 4

FOR THE CURRY

15g roughly chopped root

ginger (peeled weight) 7 large garlic cloves

1 tomato, quartered

3tbsp vegetable oil

½tsp brown mustard seeds 15 curry leaves

2 medium-small onions,

finely chopped

1-3 green chillies, stalks

removed, pierced with a knife ½tsp ground turmeric

1tsp ground cumin

½tsp Kashmiri chilli powder 500g pork shoulder, cut into

cubes, with some fat

3½-4tsp white wine vinegar Handful of coriander leaves

and stalks, to serve

FOR THE SPICE BLEND

1½tsp cumin seeds

2tsp coriander seeds

3 small cloves

5mm cinnamon stick

1tsp fennel seeds

10 black peppercorns

Pinch of brown mustard seeds

1 Blend the ginger, garlic and tomato until fine, adding water to help the blades turn. Set aside.

2 Heat the oil in a large non-stick pan. Add the mustard seeds and, once the popping calms down, add the curry leaves, onions and 1 green chilli; cook until well-browned. Add the blended paste, turmeric, salt, cumin and chilli powder, and cook until all the liquid has reduced and the remaining masala releases oil, around 10-12min.

3 Meanwhile, dry-roast the Spice Blend ingredients for 40-50 seconds, until lightly golden. Pour into a mortar and pestle and grind to a fine powder.

4 Add the pork to the masala and brown a little in the paste. Add 3tsp of the spice blend and the vinegar. Bring to the boil, then cover and simmer slowly, stirring often. If it needs water, use boiling water from the kettle. Cook until the pork is really tender, anything from 1-2 hours.

5 Taste, adjust the seasoning, stir in the coriander and serve hot.