Tuesday, June 18, 2013

Pork In A Mustard Spice Mix


"June Potluck" is the theme for this week at I Heart Cooking Clubs (IHCC), where we are currently cooking from Yotam Ottolenghi's recipes. However, for our Potluck themes, we are allowed to choose any of our previous featured chefs' recipes. And again, I have chosen one of Madhur Jaffrey's curries!

Those who have been following my blog would probably know how fond I am of Indian cuisine. I have several books on Indian cooking and each time when the craving for Indian curry sets in, I would find myself reaching out for the queen of spice, Madhur Jaffrey's book. I have been eyeing this particular dish, Pork In A Mustard Spice Mix, for a while now, and finally cooked it last week. I served this dish with Lemon and Curry Leaf Rice from my previous post, and a vegetable dish, Cauliflower and Aubergine Cooked In A Bengali Spice Mix.



What can I say? Get your spices ready and cook this! This is delicious!


The spices used :

Mustard spice mix : coriander seeds, cumin seeds, fenugreek seeds, mustard seeds, black peppercorns, dried chillies, cloves. Dry fry the spice mix in a saucepan over medium heat until a shade darker and emit a roasted aroma. I have replaced the brown mustard seeds with black mustard seeds.


Immediately transfer the spices onto a plate or kitchen paper towel to cool. Using kitchen paper towel is easier to transfer everything into the spice mill.


Grind the spices as finely as possible. 


I have doubled the recipe, since this dish needs to be braised for about an hour or so, might as well make more! Besides, a single recipe of 550 gm of meat  is not much really once the meat has been braised. And besides doubling on the amount of spices, I have added in an additional 2 teaspoons more, of the mustard spice mix.


Your house would have this lovely curry aroma while this curry is slowly braising on the stove, and you would be impatient to eat it, just like me! Haha! Really delicious served with rice and would be good too with some Indian bread. The pork meat is soft and tender, and full of flavour from all that spices. Delicious!


Comparing this to another of Madhur Jafrrey's curry which I made a while back, Red Pork Curry, I could not decide which one I like better, as both are rather different in taste but equally good! 


This post is linked to I Heart Cooking Clubs (IHCC) for this week's "Potluck", with recipes from any of the seven previous featured chefs


Please do stop by I Heart Cooking Clubs (IHCC) to view what my friends have made for the theme of this week, "June Potluck" , and if you are interested to join us, please find out more details from IHCC.

and I'm sharing this post too with :

Little Thumbs Up event where the theme for this month is Curry Powder/Curry Paste , hosted by Everybody Eats Well in Flanders, organized by Zoe from Bake For Happy Kids and Doreen from my little favourite D.I.Y.

Little Thumbs Up


and ....

"Cook-Your-Books #1" hosted by me, Kitchen Flavours. Cook or bake any recipes from your cookbooks or magazines and link them up at "Cook-Your-Books"full details from here.

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Pork In A Mustard Spice Mix
(adapted from "100 Essential Curries", Madhur Jaffrey)
for the mustard spice mix :
2 tablespoons whole coriander seeds
1 teaspoon whole cumin seeds
1 teaspoon whole fenugreek seeds
1 teaspoon whole brown mustard seeds
1 teaspoon whole black peppercorns
2 whole dried, hot red chillies
5 whole cloves

for the pork :
550gm (1-1/4lb) boneless pork shoulder, cut into 2-1/2 cm (1 in) cubes
1 tablespoon fresh ginger, peeled and finely grated
6 garlic cloves, peeled and crushed to a pulp
1-1/4 teaspoons salt
1/4 teaspoon ground turmeric
3 tablespoons corn oil or peanut oil
1/2 teaspoon whole mustard seeds
15-20 fresh curry leaves, if available
255gm (8oz) tomatoes, peeled and finely chopped

Step One
First make the mustard spice mix. Put all the spices in a medium, cast-iron frying pan and set over medium heat. Stir and fry until the spices are just a shade darker and emit a roasted aroma. Empty the spices into a bowl or on to kitchen paper and allow to cool. Then put them into a clean coffee grinder or other spice grinder and grind as finely as possible. These quantities make more than you need for this recipe but you can store the spice mix in a tightly lidded jar, away from sunlight and moisture, for use in other recipes.

Step Two
Rub the pork cubes well with the ginger, garlic, salt and turmeric. Cover and set aside for 30 minutes, or up to 8 hours if desired, refrigerating if necessary.

Step Three
Pour the oil into a large, preferably non-stick, lidded pan and set over a medium-high heat. When the oil is hot, put in the whole mustard seeds. As soon as they pop, which will be in a matter of seconds, add the curry leaves and, a second later, the pork, together with its marinade. Stir for a minute. Cover, reduce the heat to medium, and let the meat cook for the next 5 minutes, stirring now and then and replacing the cover each time. The meat should brown lightly. Add 5 teaspoons of the mustard spice mix and stir for a minute. Add the tomatoes and cook, stirring, until the tomatoes are pulpy, about 2 minutes. Now add 250ml (8fl oz) water, stir, and bring to the boil. Cover, reduce the heat, and cook very gently. lifting the lid occasionally to stir the contents, for 50-60 minutes or until the meat is tender. Check for salt before serving.


kitchen flavour's notes :
I have cooked about 900gm of meat, double the spices, and added an additional 2 teaspoons of the Mustard Spice Mix during cooking. 

#54/100

32 comments:

  1. This must be so full of delicious flavours - definitely one to bookmark for the future.

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  2. I am a bit of a baby when it comes to spicy foods but I still enjoyed your post. Lovely photos!

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  3. I find that you are really good in cooking curry because you really put so many spices that increase the aroma and taste of the curry. I have to copy the spice name and find them in Indian grocery shop. Thanks for sharing.

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  4. That looks really delicious and based on your description, I can almost smell that curry cooking. I really must explore more of Madhur Jaffrey's recipes.

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  5. This sounds so good- I love all of the spices! I can see why you doubled the meat- I would have done the same thing. :)

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  6. Joyce, honestly I think this picture should never be shown to my hb at all. For sure, he will bookmark it and say, so when are you going to cook this? This looks so tempting with piping hot white rice! :):)

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  7. A quick one though: If I only have the powder form of the seeds, do I still fry them to roast them?

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    1. Good morning Grace,
      I think that it is alright not to dry roast the powdered spices, but if you do, take extra caution over very low fire, stirring often. Using the spices in seeds form would really give the maximum flavour for this dish, as when the seeds are processed, it would not entirely be in fine powder form, you can still see and feel the fine fibres of the seeds.
      Surprise your hubby with this dish, and cook extra rice! :)

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    2. Joyce, yes I do suspect on the maximum flavour with the dry roasting. Yes, this is going to be a good dish. Now I am already flipping through the recipes that I can cook with Madhur Jaffrey's curry book. Oh gosh, cookbook addicted @@ :)

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  8. I'm following my nose , Joyce ! I know there is something scrumptious here . Okay , I'm coming over for lunch ;D

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  9. Another delicious looking curry dish from you...I know the red pork curry tasted good so I believe you when you said this is delicious too! got to try it someday:D I have to check to see if I have all the spices in this recipe.

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  10. OMG, this dish is lethal! My weight will shoot up high after consuming at least 3 plates of rice with the curry~

    I've always like your curry recipes.

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  11. That spice mix sounds wonderful!!

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  12. Looks wonderful, droolworthy curry.

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  13. I do believe I can smell the aroma wafting through the house, Joyce. Your pork sounds oh so good and a I love the combination of mustard ingredients.

    Thank you so much for sharing...

    P.S. Someone else chose the letter C before you for the Picnic Game. However, she isn't sure she wants it:) Do you want to wait until she lets me know or do you just want to pick another letter? I just know it is going to be one tasty picnic this year. The fun has already begun!!!

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    1. Hi Joyce,

      YOU"RE INVITED! And you're bring the letter C Can't wait to "taste" what you bring to the Picnic!

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  14. It must be very FLAVOURSOME! Yes, I should get all my spices ready and make this!

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  15. ivy sew http://simplybeautifulhealthyliving.blogspot.comTuesday, June 18, 2013

    Wow, all these spices indeed make me drooling...

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  16. Well the pork and the spices sound amazing!

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  17. Wow Joyce, your mustard mix sounds awesome, love the bold flavor of this pork...yum...
    Thanks for the recipe and have a wonderful week :D

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  18. the masala powder must be so amazing..tasting delicious I am sure

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  19. I love the smell of spices toasting in the pan, so inviting! Love your pork dish.

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  20. Joyce, that curry looks delicious! I might try it this weekend.

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  21. I have many curry lover friends. This will be a perfect potluck dish for them. Though not a curry lover but can't help drooling at the descriptions��

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  22. Pork and mustard make such a great pairing! Your spicy dish must taste amazing :)

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  23. So appetizing & yummy with all the lovely spices! YUM! ;)

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  24. I can just imagine how great this smelled cooking. You have been making some wonderful curries lately--the whole dinner with the rice and eggplant--Ottolenghi and Jaffrey combined looks amazing. ;-)

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  25. Oh, that pan of toasting spices! What a spectacular dish, dearie! I wish we were neighbors and I could cadge a dinner invite!

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  26. Oh Joyce, you have outdone yourself with this dish! It just looks marvelous. I love how saucy and delicious it looks and I also love that you added in a little extra of the spice mix. Delicious:)

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  27. Joyce, this dish has me absolutely drooling. I can just imagine how good this tastes. I have my dearest, oldest friend coming to stay for a few days next week and I'm going to make this for her - I know she'll love it. Thanks for sharing it.

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  28. Hi Joyce,

    I'm still in the progress of catching all curry posts... LOL!

    I see lots of spices in your spice mix... Every mouthful of this must be exciting! Yum!

    Zoe

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