Serves 16
150 min
Pork & Chickpea Curry
Recipe GLPR1b78e02d110e24
A fragrant, slow-cooked Indian-inspired curry combining tender pork shoulder with hearty chickpeas in a deeply spiced tomato sauce. Whole spices are toasted and ground with garlic and vinegar to create a complex paste, then the marinated pork is seared and finished in the oven until meltingly tender. Serve over rice for a comforting, warming main course.
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Ingredients
1½ teaspoons black peppercorns
2 teaspoons fennel seeds
1 teaspoon coriander seeds
2 teaspoons cumin seeds
1 teaspoon chilli powder
½ teaspoon ground turmeric
2 garlic bulbs, cloves separated and peeled
100 millilitres red wine vinegar
1.5 kilograms pork shoulder, cut into 2.5 centimetre pieces
50 millilitres vegetable oil
3 large red onions, finely chopped
2 red peppers, deseeded and roughly chopped
400 grams canned chopped tomatoes
2 teaspoons dark muscovado sugar
2 x 400 gram tins chickpeas, drained and rinsed
450 millilitres chicken stock
rice, to serve
Directions
Place a small pan over medium heat. Add the black peppercorns, fennel seeds, coriander seeds, and cumin seeds. Dry-fry for about 1 minute, stirring constantly, until the spices become fragrant and release their aromas. Transfer the toasted spices to a food processor, add the chilli powder and turmeric, and set aside.
Return the empty pan to medium heat. Add the garlic cloves and fry for 1 to 2 minutes until the edges turn golden brown and flecked. Add the roasted garlic and red wine vinegar to the spice mixture in the food processor and blend until you reach a coarse, textured paste.
Transfer the pork shoulder pieces to a large bowl. Add the spice paste and mix thoroughly with your hands until every piece is well coated. (Wearing disposable gloves is recommended, as turmeric can stain skin and clothes.) Let the marinated pork rest for 15 minutes at room temperature.
Preheat your oven to 150°C (130°C fan or gas mark 2). Heat the vegetable oil in a flameproof casserole dish or Dutch oven over medium-high heat.
Add the chopped red onions to the hot oil and cook until they begin to soften and develop light colour, about 5 minutes. Increase the heat to high and add the marinated pork. Stir frequently and cook for about 10 minutes, allowing the meat to brown deeply and the paste to caramelize, darkening in colour and adhering to the pork pieces.
Stir in the chopped red peppers, canned tomatoes, and muscovado sugar. Continue cooking over high heat for approximately 10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the tomatoes have broken down and reduced, and the spiced paste clings tightly to the meat.
Add the drained and rinsed chickpeas and the chicken stock, stirring well to combine. Cover the casserole dish with a lid and bring the mixture to a gentle simmer on the stovetop.
Transfer the covered dish to the preheated oven and braise for approximately 1½ hours (90 minutes), until the pork shoulder is very tender and easily breaks apart with a fork, and the sauce has thickened and reduced. Serve immediately over cooked rice, or allow to cool completely and freeze in portions for up to 3 months.
