Sri Lankan Black Pork curry

This is a cracker, it takes a bit of prep, marinating overnight and 3 and a bit hours of cooking time. But... you'll be rewarded with a unique and wonderfully spiced pork curry.

This dish really shines due to a few ingredients that may be harder to find than others (Goraka and Roasted Sri Lankan curry powder).

Goraka is a popular souring agent used in India - I liken it to a smokey tamarind flavour. If you can't get paste, buy it dried, simmer in just enough water to cover it for 15 mins, to help rehydrate, then strain (keeping a little of the water) and then blitz in a food processor to make a paste. Add a little of the water it boiled in if you need to help form a paste.

Roasted curry powder is really aromatic and has some real depth of flavour.

As a Londoner, I hop on the tube to Tooting, where there are a number of Sri Lankan stores!

I've used a number of other recipes online before for this curry, but found that the chilli balance and the cooking time for pork wasn't to my liking, so this is my version.

If you can't get to Tooting or a Sri Lankan shop, try the below: 

Sri Lankan curry powder: Amazon link

Goraka: Amazon link

Pandan leaf: Amazon link

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Note: This recipe says for 4 people.. but i like it enough to make this for 2. Just saying.

For the Marinade

• 600 grams pork shoulder cut into small bite size pieces
• 2 tsp sri lankan roasted curry powder
• 1 tsp roasted chili powder (adjust to your taste and use normal chilli powder if you can't find roasted)
• 2 tsp goraka paste (see above for how to prep this)
• 3 green cardamoms crushed to extract seeds, then grind seeds
• 3 cloves, ground
• 1 tsp salt

For the rest

• 4 cloves of garlic
• 1 thumb size piece of ginger (2cm), finely grated
• 1/2  onion finely chopped onion
• 1/4-inch piece of lemon grass (white part) lightly crushed
• 1 small pandan leaf broken into pieces
• 1 sprig of curry leaves (around 20 leaves)
• 1 tsp chili powder (adjust to your liking)
• 2 tsp mild curry powder
• 1⁄4 tsp salt
• 1 tbsp coconut oil
• 100ml water

• Dice the pork into large 1 inch chunks, if not already
• Marinate the pork with all the marinating ingredients above, overnight
• Finely grate the ginger and crush or finely chop the garlic
• Crush the lemongrass piece with the blunt side of your knife to release the oils.
• Put a large pot on a medium heat and add the coconut oil. When hot add 1/4 tsp salt, the chili powder, and the un-roasted curry powder. Fry on a low heat until the spices darken, stirring continuously.
• Add in the ginger and garlic, pandan leaves, curry leaves and lemongrass. Mix well with the other ingredients and saute for about a minute
• Now add the chopped onion and mix well. Saute for about a minute.
• Add in the marinated pork pieces to the pot. Mix well and saute for about a minute.
• Then add the water and mix well
• Take off the gas and put in oven on 150c (fan) for about 3 1/2 hours, check after an hour or so and add more water if it’s drying out.

Best with a Sri Lankan potato curry, Hoppers and Coconut Sambol