Asian Pork Curry

Ingredients

1. Pork (sliced into thin strips 1″ X 2″ approx) – 1 lb
2. Finely Sliced Shallots – 1/2 cup
3. Oil – 2 tbsp
4. Fresh Cilantro (Malliyella) – 1/2 cup roughly chopped
5. Salt – to taste

For Marinating the Pork

1. Soy Sauce – 2 tbsp
2. Fish Sauce – 1 to 2 tbsp
3. Corn Starch – 2 tsp
4. Finely Sliced Green Chillies – 3 or 4 (Alter according to your spice tolerance)
5. Finely Sliced Shallots – 1/4 cup
6. Black Pepper Powder – 1 tsp
7. Sugar – 1 tsp
8. Chicken/Meat Masala Powder – 1.5 tbsp (I used Eastern brand)
9. Powdered Roasted Peanuts – 1/4 cup
10. Lemon Juice – 2 tsp

Preparation Method

1. Clean and wash the pork and slice it into thin bite sized strips of 1/2″ thickness approx.
2. Marinate the pork with the above ingredients and refrigerate it for atleast 1 hour.
3. Heat oil in a non stick pan and saute shallots for a few minutes.
4. Add the marinated pork to the pan along with any left over marinade and 1/2 cup water.
5. Stir fry the pork for around 10 minutes. Do a taste test and add salt only if needed.
6. Throw in the chopped cilantro and mix well. If there is no gravy, add 1/2 cup of water to the pan.
7. Cover and cook for 5-7 more minutes or until done.

Beef/Pork Fried Rice

Ingredients

1. Long Grain Rice – 2 cups
2. Beef/Pork Sliced into thin strips of 1/4 ” thickness – 1/2 lb or 250 grams
3. Eggs – 2
4. Diced Onions – 1 small
5. Fresh/Frozen Green Peas – 3/4 cup
6. Diced Carrots – 3/4 cup
7. Finely Chopped Spring Onions – 1/2 cup each (White & Greens separated)
8. Tomato – 1 (Alternatively, use 1 tbsp Tomato Ketchup)
9. Soy Sauce – 2 tbsp
10. Chilly Garlic Sauce – 2 tsp
11. Fish Sauce – 1 tbsp
12. Black Pepper Powder – 1/2 tsp (Optional)
13. Oil/Butter – 4 tbsp
14. Water – 3 to 3.5 cups (depending on the Rice used)

For Marinating the Meat

1. Turmeric Powder – 1/2 tsp
2. Home Made Garam Masala Powder – 1 tsp
3. Red Chilly Powder – 2 tsp (Alter according to your Spice Tolerance)
4. Meat Masala Powder – 1 tbsp (optional)
5. Pepper Powder – 1 tsp
6. Ginger Garlic Paste – 1 tbsp
7. Salt – to taste

Preparation Method

1. Soak the rice for half an hour. You can skip this step of you are in a hurry.
2. Wash the rice and allow the water to drain completely.
3. Meanwhile, wash the meat thoroughly and drain all water. Cut it into thin strips.
4. Marinate the meat with all the above ingredients and keep it aside for 10-15 minutes.
5. If using frozen peas, defrost in a microwave. Chop all the vegetables and keep aside.
6. Heat oil in a non stick frying pan and shallow fry the meat until browned on both sides. You need to fry each side for atleast 5 minutes so that it browns well. Remove the strips and drain onto paper towels.
7. Heat 2 tbsp oil/butter in a wide non-stick pan and add the well-drained rice.
8. Stir fry the rice until it begins to change color lightly.
9. Add 3 to 3.5 cups of water to the pan along with salt to taste. Increase heat, cover and bring to a rolling boil.
10. Reduce heat to low and cook covered for 8-10 minutes until all water has been absorbed by the rice.
11. Remove the pan from stove top. Open the pan and fluff the rice with a fork. Spread it on a baking tray or pan and allow the rice to cool.
12. Meanwhile lightly shred the fried meat using a food processor. You can pulse it once or twice. Be careful, that the meat doesn’t get minced or powdered.
13. Heat 2 tbsp oil in another non-stick pan or wok. Throw in the diced onions and whites of spring onions. Saute on high heat for 2 minutes.
14. Add the carrots and stir fry for 3-4 minutes.
15. Throw in the green peas and tomatoes. Saute for a few minutes
16. Add the shredded meat to the pan and saute for a minute. Push the vegetables and meat to the edges of the pan or wok.
17. Beat the eggs and add it to the center of the pan. When it begins to set, scramble it well.
18. Reduce heat to medium-low and add 2 tsp Chilly Garlic Sauce, 2 tbsp Soy Sauce and 1 tbsp Fish Sauce. Mix everything and stir fry for a minute.
19. Switch off the heat and slowly add rice to the pan. Mix everything carefully or else the rice may break. Sprinkle pepper powder if needed. Do a taste test and add more Soy Sauce if needed.
20. Garnish with spring onion greens. Serve with any side dish like Chilly Chicken.

Pork Ularthiyathu/Olathiyathu

I mostly use Lean Cut Pork but you can prepare this dish with any fatty cut of Pork.

Ingredients

1. Any Lean Cut Pork – 2.2 lbs or 1 kg approx (You can also use Pork which has fat)
2. Thinly Sliced Onions – 1 medium (Alternatively, you can use 1 cup of Shallots)
3. Slit Green Chillies – 4 (Alter according to your Spice Tolerance)
4. Curry Leaves – A sprig
5. Coriander Powder – 2 tsp
6. Meat Masala Powder – 1 tbsp
7. Home Made Garam Masala Powder – 1 tsp
8. Black Pepper Powder – 1 tsp + 1/2 tsp
9. Salt – to taste
10. Oil – 3 tbsp or as required for stir frying

For Marinating the Pork

1. Diced Shallots (Kunjulli) – 8 to 10
2. Minced Garlic – 5 or 6 cloves
3. Minced Ginger – 2 tbsp
4. Coconut Slices (Thenga Kothu) – 1/2 Cup [optional]
5. Home Made Garam Masala Powder – 2 to 3 tsp
6. Fennel Seeds Powder – 1/2 tsp
7. Meat Masala Powder – 2 tbsp (I use Eastern Meat Masala Powder)
8. Red Chilly Powder – 1 tbsp (Alter according to your Spice Tolerance)
9. Coriander Powder – 1 tbsp
10. Turmeric Powder – 1 tsp
11. Pepper Powder – 1 tbsp (Alter according to your Spice Tolerance)
12. Curry Leaves – A sprig
13. Vinegar – 2 to 3 tbsp
14. Salt – to taste

Preparation Method

1. Wash the pork thoroughly and drain all water. Dice it into bite sized pieces.
2. Marinate the pork with all the above ingredients and keep it aside for 30 minutes.
3. Cover and cook the pork in a big pan until it is 70% cooked. You don’t have to add water while cooking the pork as it will let out water by itself.
4. Open the pan and continue cooking until the water has reduced and the meat is 90% cooked. You don’t have to evaporate the gravy completely. Be careful not to overcook the meat or else it will break while stir frying. [Alternatively, you can pressure cook the pork with 1/2 cup water. The cooking time varies depending on the pork used. The pork which we get in Kerala has a longer cooking time. So pressure cook accordingly.]
5. Heat  3 tbsp oil in a big non stick pan or wok and splutter mustard seeds.
6. Saute onions/shallots, green chillies and curry leaves until the onions become translucent.
7. Reduce heat and add little salt, 1 tbsp meat masala powder, 1 tsp garam masala powder, 2 tsp coriander powder and 1 tsp black pepper powder. Saute for 2 minutes.
8. Transfer the cooked meat along with any remaining gravy to the above pan.
9. Continue stir frying the pork so that the gravy evaporates and the masala gets coated on the meat. Sprinkle 1/2 tsp pepper powder at this stage.
10. Roast the meat on medium low heat for 10-15 minutes till it is completely dry and turns into a dark brown color. The longer you stir fry, the better it tastes.You can add more oil while stir frying to prevent the meat from sticking on to the pan.

Note

• If you are using Pork which has Fat, then you need to use very little oil for stir frying.

Spicy Beef/Pork Fry

This Spicy Meat Fry (Irachi Varuthathu) can be prepared quickly when compared to the regular Beef/Pork Olarthiyahtu. This is a wonderful recipe and is an excellent appetizer with drinks.

Ingredients

1. Thinly Sliced Beef or Pork Strips – 250 grams (The strips can be of any size suitable for frying)
2. Thinly Sliced Onions – 1 big [Alternatively, you can use 1 cup of diced shallots (kunjulli) for a better taste.]
3. Minced Garlic – 4 big cloves
4. Minced Ginger – 1 tbsp
5. Dried Red Chillies – 4 to 6
6. Slit Green Chillies – 2
7. Curry Leaves – A sprig
8. Coriander Powder – 2 tsp
9. Red Chilly Powder – 1 tsp (Alter according to your Spice Tolerance)
10. Home Made Garam Masala Powder – 1 to 2 tsp
11. Meat Masala Powder – 1 tbsp (Optional) [I have used Eastern Meat Masala Powder]
12. Pepper Powder – 1/2 tsp
13. Lemon Juice – 2 to 4 tbsp
14. Salt – to taste
15. Oil – as needed for shallow frying the meat

For Marinating the Meat

1. Turmeric Powder – 1 tsp
2. Home Made Garam Masala Powder – 1 tsp
3. Red Chilly Powder – 2 tsp (Alter according to your Spice Tolerance)
4. Pepper Powder – 1 tsp
5. Ginger Garlic Paste – 1 tbsp
6. Salt – to taste

Preparation Method

1. Wash the meat thoroughly and drain all water. Cut it into thin strips.
2. Marinate the meat with all the above ingredients and keep it aside for 10 minutes.
3. Meanwhile heat oil in a non stick frying pan and shallow fry the meat until browned on both sides. You need to fry each side for atleast 5 minutes so that it browns well. Remove the strips and drain onto paper towels.
4. To the same oil, add onions/shallots, green chillies, ginger, garlic and curry leaves and saute until the onions begin to brown.
5. Reduce heat and add red chilly powder, meat masala powder, garam masala powder, pepper powder and coriander powder. Saute for 2 minutes.
6. Meanwhile, roughly chop the fried meat into bite sized pieces.
7. Add the chopped meat to the pan and continue sauteing for 5-7 minutes till the masala gets coated on the meat. Sprinkle 2 tbsp lemon juice and mix well. Remove from stove top.
8. Sprinkle more lemon juice before serving. Do not skimp on the lemon juice as it enhances the taste greatly.

Shallow Fried Beef/Pork

Minced Meat (Kheema/Qeema) is popular in India and many Middle-Eastern countries. Minced Meat goes well with Macaroni, Spaghetti and most of the other kinds of Pasta. Here is an Indian version of Spaghetti Bolognese. I cooked Minced Beef with Indian spices and then combined it with Spaghetti. You can also try the same recipe with Macaroni. If you don’t eat Beef, you may substitute it with Minced Lamb, Chicken or Pork.

Spaghetti with Minced Meat

Ingredients

1. Spaghetti – 1 lb
2. Lean Ground Beef – 1 lb (You can use Lamb or Pork instead of Beef)
3. Finely Diced Onions – 1 large
4. Diced Tomatoes – 2 medium
5. Sun Dried Tomatoes – 4 or 5 pieces
6. Tomato Paste – 1/4 cup
7. Dry Red Chillies – 4 or 5 (Alter according to your Spice Tolerance)
8. Minced Garlic – 4 cloves
9. Bay Leaves – 2
10. Olive Oil – 1 tbsp
11. Salt – to taste
12. Water – As needed

For Marinating Beef

1. Meat Masala Powder – 3 tbsp (I used Eastern meat Masala powder)
2. Coriander Powder – 1 tbsp
3. Turmeric Powder – 1/2 tsp
4. Pepper Powder – 1 tsp
5. Red chilly powder – 2 tsp (Alter according to your Spice Tolerance)
6. Italian herb seasoning – 2 tbsp (The ingredients are Marjoram, Thyme, Rosemary, Sage, Oregano, Basil)
7. Garam Masala Powder – 1/2 tsp (optional)
8. Ginger Garlic Paste -1 tbsp
9. Salt – to taste

Preparation Method

1. Wash the minced meat thoroughly in a colander atleast 4 or 5 times and allow it to drain.
2. Marinate the ground meat with the above ingredients and keep it aside for around 15-20 minutes.
3. Meanwhile, heat 1 tbsp oil in a pressure cooker and add onions. Saute till the onions become translucent.
4. Add the bay leaves, dry red chillies, garlic, sun dried tomatoes and diced tomatoes to the cooker and saute for a minute or two.
5. Add the marinated ground meat and tomato paste to the pan along with 1/2 cup of water. Mix everything well.
6. Cover the pressure cooker and allow the meat to cook for around 3 whistles on medium flame. Switch off the stove and let the pressure subside.
7. Cook the spaghetti in boiling water according to the instructions on the packet. Add salt and 1/2 tsp olive oil while cooking spaghetti.
8. Drain the spaghetti and keep aside.
9. Open the pressure cooker and stir the minced meat breaking up any pieces sticking together. If the gravy appears too watery, simmer for a few more minutes until it thickens.
10. Transfer the Spaghetti to a wide pan. Pour the cooked minced meat along with its gravy on top of the spaghetti and toss everything together. I don’t like too much of gravy with my spaghetti and prefer it slightly dry. So, I tossed the spaghetti with less gravy and more meat.
11. Adjust salt and pepper to taste. If you like, you can add grated cheese on top of the spaghetti.