Pork belly curry from Sri Lanka

Ingredients for 4 servings:

• 4 cardamom pods
• 1 tsp basmati rice
• 1 tsp cumin
• 1 tsp coriander seeds
• 1 tsp black peppercorns
• 1 tsp black mustard seeds
• 1 tsp fennel seeds
• 4 carnations
• 600 g pork belly
• 4 tsp chili powder
• ½ tsp turmeric
• 1 tsp black pepper, freshly ground
• 1 tsp salt
• 2 tbsp vegetable oil
• 6 curry leaves
• 1 pandan leaf, 4 cm
• 1 cinnamon stick(s)
• 1 onion(s), finely diced
• 1 stalk lemongrass, bruised
• 3 cm ginger root, finely diced
• 5 garlic cloves, finely diced
• 4 chili peppers, green, finely diced
• 1 tsp tamarind sauce
• 1 onion(s), red, thinly sliced
• 1 chili pepper(s), green, cut into thin rings
• 2 limes, juice

Instructions

Working time approx. 30 minutes; Rest time approx. 8 hours; Cooking/baking time approx. 1 hour 20 minutes; Total time approx. 9 hours 50 minutes

Cut the pork belly into bite-sized pieces. Roast the spices for the rub without oil until they begin to smell. Then grind the spices in a mortar until they are as fine as possible. Roast the chili powder. Rub the pork belly with one and a half tablespoons of the curry rub, two teaspoons of chili powder, turmeric, salt, and pepper. Marinate the meat overnight in the refrigerator. The next day, roast the curry leaves, pandan leaf, and cinnamon stick in the vegetable oil for one to two minutes. Add the diced onion and the bruised lemongrass and roast for another two minutes. Add the diced garlic, ginger, and chili cubes for another two minutes. Finally, fry the pork belly for five minutes. Add the tamarind paste, the rest of the toasted chili powder, and two more teaspoons of the curry rub made at the beginning. Pour a glass of water over the meat and simmer, covered, for one hour. At the end of the cooking time, the pork belly should be very tender; it may need to cook a little longer. Depending on the consistency of the curry, reduce the liquid again or add a little water. The curry should stick to the meat. Season to taste with salt. To serve, remove the pandan leaf, cinnamon stick, and lemongrass. You can garnish the dish with marinated onion rings. These need to be made a few hours in advance. To do this, thinly slice the red onion, mix with the chili rings and lime juice, and let it rest in the refrigerator. Serve the curry with rice. If you don’t like it too spicy, reduce the amount of chili.