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Pork bafat
Pork curry with roasted spice powder
Bafat: Mangalorean Christmas pork curry with dark roasted spice powder
Pork bafat is the curry Mangalorean Catholic families cook for Christmas, weddings and every big feast. Fatty pork pieces are simmered with onion, ginger, garlic and bafat powder, a deep red-brown blend of roasted chillies, coriander, cumin, pepper, turmeric and cinnamon, then soured with vinegar and a little tamarind. It is fiery and tangy and is eaten with sannas, the soft, steamed rice cakes. Bafat powder keeps for months, so make a jar. Chef's tip: let the curry rest overnight, as the vinegar and spices mellow into each other and it tastes far better the next day.
- Total time
- 110 min
- Difficulty
- medium
- Serves
- 6
Ingredients
For the bafat powder
- 2 tbsp coriander seeds
- 1 tsp cumin seeds
- 1 tsp black peppercorns
- ½ tsp mustard seeds
- 1 tsp ground turmeric
- ¾ in cinnamon stick
- 4 cloves
For the curry
- 2 ¼ lb pork shoulder or belly with some fatin 3 cm pieces
- 2 onionssliced
- 1 ⅝ in gingerchopped
- 8 cloves garlicchopped
- 3 green chilliesslit
- 4 tbsp vinegar
- 1 tsp tamarind paste
- 1 ½ tsp salt
- 1 ¼ cups water
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Method
0/5 doneStep 1: Dry-roast 15 dried red Byadgi or Kashmiri chillies, 2 tbsp coriander seeds, 1 tsp cumin seeds, 1 tsp black peppercorns, ½ tsp mustard seeds, ¾ in cinnamon stick and 4 cloves in a pan over a low heat for 4–5 minutes, until fragrant and a shade darker. Cool, add 1 tsp ground turmeric and grind to a fine powder.
6 minStep 2: Put 2 ¼ lb pork shoulder or belly with some fat, 2 onions, 1 ⅝ in ginger, 8 cloves garlic, 3 green chillies, 3 tbsp of the bafat powder, 1 ½ tsp salt and 1 ¼ cups water in a heavy pot. Mix, cover and bring to the boil.
8 minStep 3: Simmer covered over a low heat for 50–60 minutes, stirring now and then, until the pork is tender and has released its fat; it should be well above 160°F.
55 minStep 4: Stir in 4 tbsp vinegar and 1 tsp tamarind paste and cook uncovered for 10 minutes, until the gravy is thick and dark and the fat floats on top. A common mistake is adding vinegar at the start, which toughens the meat.
10 minStep 5: Taste and adjust salt, chill overnight, and reheat to serve with sannas or rice.
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 540 kcal
- Protein
- 32 g
- Carbs
- 10 g
- Fat
- 42 g
- Fibre
- 3 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does pork bafat take?
- About 110 minutes in total: 30 minutes to prepare and 80 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 6 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- Is it gluten free?
- Yes, as written. Check the labels on stock, sauces and spice mixes, which sometimes contain gluten.
- Is it very spicy?
- It has some heat. Use less chilli for a milder version, or more if you like it hot.
- Can I make it ahead?
- Yes. It keeps well, so you can cook it earlier in the day or the day before and reheat it.
- What can I use instead of coriander seeds?
- Ground coriander, same amount (add it later in the cooking; it burns faster).
- What can I use instead of cumin seeds?
- Ground cumin, three quarters of the amount (add it with the other ground spices, not to hot oil first).
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