Pork Indad and Sannas for a Mangalorean Easter. Sweet, spicy and the sort of combination that makes a special-occasion meal feel complete.
This is my mother-in-law’s recipe, from Nishal’s Mangalorean Catholic home. I think of Indad as a Mangalorean cousin of Goan vindaloo, with its own lovely balance of chilli, sweetness and tang. The raisins go right into the masala, and the final little adjustments of sugar and vinegar bring everything together.
There is a little patience involved. Marinating the pork, browning it in batches, letting the onions turn golden, and cooking the masala before the meat goes back in. Each step adds to that rich gravy. With soft Sannas to soak it up, this is Mai’s recipe that I want to keep here as part of the Crasta home collection.
Serve with Sannas.
Pork Indad: Mai's Mangalorean Catholic Recipe
Ingredients
For the pork and marinade
- 1 kg boneless pork, with some fat, cut into bite-sized pieces
- 1½ teaspoons salt
- ½ teaspoon turmeric powder
- 1 teaspoon black pepper powder
- 2 to 3 tablespoons vinegar
For the masala
- 12 to 15 dried red chillies, a mixture of Byadgi and Kashmiri
- 8 to 10 garlic cloves
- 1-inch piece of ginger
- 1½ teaspoons cumin seeds
- 2 tablespoons coriander seeds
- ½ teaspoon mustard seeds
- 1 teaspoon black peppercorns
- 4 cloves
- 1 small cinnamon stick
- 1 onion, roughly chopped
- 2 tablespoons raisins
- A little tamarind, to taste
- A little turmeric powder
- Salt, as needed
- A few sprigs of mint, optional
- A little water, only as needed for grinding
For cooking the gravy
- A little oil, for browning the pork and sautéing the masala onion
- Reserved fat from frying the pork
- Ghee, only if extra fat is needed
- 2 large onions, sliced
- 2 bay leaves
- 6 cloves
- 1 to 2-inch piece of cinnamon
- Water, as needed for cooking
- Vinegar, sugar and salt, to adjust the final seasoning
- Fried potato pieces, optional
Instructions
Method
- Marinate the pork. Mix the pork with the salt, turmeric, pepper powder and vinegar. Cover and refrigerate for at least 2 hours.
- Brown it in batches. Heat a little oil in a heavy pan. Fry the pork in small batches until nicely browned, giving the pieces room in the pan. Set the pork aside and reserve the fat left behind.
- Prepare the masala. Gently roast the peppercorns, cumin, coriander and mustard seeds until aromatic, taking care not to burn them. Sauté the roughly chopped onion in a little oil until translucent. Grind the onion and roasted spices with the red chillies, garlic, ginger, raisins, 4 cloves, small cinnamon stick, tamarind, a little turmeric and salt into a smooth paste. Add the optional mint here if using it. Use only enough water to help the mixture grind.
- Build the gravy. In the reserved pork fat, sauté the 6 cloves, cinnamon and bay leaves. Add the sliced onions and fry until golden-brown. If the pan needs a little more fat, add some ghee.
- Cook the masala first. Add the ground paste and cook for a few minutes, stirring, before returning the browned pork to the pan. If adding fried potato pieces, put them in at this stage.
- Let it cook through. Cook gently for around 30 minutes, or longer if needed, until the pork is cooked through and tender. Add a little water as required to keep the gravy from catching. The size and cut of the pork will affect the cooking time, so use its tenderness as well as the clock.
- Find that sweet-spicy-tangy balance. Check the salt, then add a little sugar and vinegar to taste. Make small adjustments, tasting between them, until the gravy has the balance that makes Indad so lovely.
- Serve. Bring it to the table with Sannas or pav, ready to soak up the gravy.
Notes
- Choose pork with a little fat. It is part of this recipe, and the fat left after browning is used for the onions and gravy.
- Give the pork room to brown. Small batches work better than crowding everything into the pan at once.
- Raisins belong in the masala. Grind them in with the other ingredients.
- Mint and fried potatoes are additions. Both are optional in my caption. The recipe can be made without them.
- Adjust at the end. The vinegar in the marinade is measured, while the finishing vinegar and sugar are added to taste.
