Panni Ularthiyathu - Pork Fry Kerala Style

Ingredients

• 1.5 lb pork cut into small cubes (use ½ pork belly and ½ lean cut pork if you want to reduce the fat content)
• 1 cup thinly sliced onions
• 2 tbsp thin ginger slices
• 2 tbsp thin garlic slices
• ½ cup tomato pieces
• 3 green chilies slit
• 1 tbsp red chili powder
• ¼ tsp turmeric powder
• Salt to taste
• masala powder (grind the following)
  • 4 cardamom pods
  • 1 tsp fennel seeds
  • 6 cloves
  • ½ tsp black peppercorns
  • 1 tsp coriander seeds

¼ cup thinly sliced shallots

½ cup coconut slices (available frozen in the Indian stores)

A few curry leaves

Method

Mix the pork with the onions, ginger, garlic, green chilies, tomatoes, chili, turmeric and masala powders and salt, and cook in a pressure cooker for about 6 minutes after the first whistle.

When the cooker is cool enough to handle, open the cooker. There will be some gravy formed during the pressure cooking, this gravy is full of fat, and can be used for the next step.

Heat a large frying pan, and pour about 3-4 tbsp of the liquid from the pressure cooker. Heat on high, till most of the water is evaporated and just some melted fat remain in the pan.

Add the shallots, coconut pieces and curry leaves to the pan, and sauté till the shallots and the coconut pieces start to brown. Pour the contents of the pressure cooker, along with the gravy into the pan. Mix well and cook till all the liquid is evaporated.

Have it hot with rice and a light gravy like daal or moru curry or plain yogurt.