Goan-Style Pork Chilli Fry (Pork Solantulem)

¼ kg Pork with some fatcut into small long pieces or cubes

4 White Onionsmedium sized, thinly sliced

12 Kokum petalsreplacement mentioned in the notes below

1 tbsp Oilfor frying

1 cup Waterto cook the meat

Marinade

12 cloves Garlic 1 pod, freshly crushed into a thick coarse paste

1 Ginger rootinch piece, freshly crushed into a thick coarse paste

13 Dried small red chilliesspicy kind, or replace with few Kashmiri dry red chillies

2 tsp Cumin seeds

1 tsp Turmeric powder

½ tsp Red chilli powder

½ tsp Coriander Powder

2 tsp Saltto taste

Prep all the ingredients and keep them ready. Wash the pork and cut into small cubes. Separate the pork fat bits out and make sure you salt them slightly. Set aside. Apply salt for the rest of the pork.

pork cut into cubes for chilli fry

Thinly slice the onions and keep aside to use later.

Next, start by crushing the cumin seeds and dried red chillies together. Leave it coarse. Add this along with the other spice powders, turmeric powder, red chilli powder and coriander powder to the meat. Mix the meat well with the spices and marinate for an hour or more.

add the spices to the pork

Cut the ginger and garlic into small pieces and coarsely crush them as well. Set aside.

Now, fry the fat in a bit of oil. It is important to remember to use less oil, as the fat will render out oil too before it crisps up. Add the onions at this stage, as it helps them to caramelise beautifully.

Next, add the coarsely ground ginger and garlic. Fry for a few minutes and then continue by adding the marinated meat. Add the kokum petals at this point. Stir it well.

Add a little water now. Cover it up and let it cook on a medium flame until the meat cooks and the water dries out. You can also pressure cook this for one whistle. This should generally take 20-25 minutes.

Serve hot with steamed rice or a poi.

Notes

I've used only a little water to let the pork cook well. Make sure the end dish is dry or has very little gravy.
If you do not have kokum petals at hand, substitute the dish with a tablespoon of Goan toddy vinegar. You can also add some fresh tamarind soaked in water to extract the pulp and add that instead as a replacement.
You can add any other spice if you like, but the main idea behind this dish is to make it spicy.
You can add the freshly crushed ginger and garlic to the marinade, too, instead of adding it later while frying.
Replace the white onions with red onions if you prefer a stronger flavour.
You can add some tamarind pulp in addition to the solam or kokum petals for that extra tang.

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Goan-Style Pork Chilli Fry (Pork Solantulem)