Sri Lankan Black Pork Curry gets its name from the ground black pepper used in the marinade. It is a dish made with tamarind, and I used a Moroccan spice blend so it’s not 100% Sri Lankan but tasty just the same. I also added some ingredients to lift the color a bit. The flavor hasn’t changed, it has a wonderful tart and peppery flavor. A really nice Sunday evening meal, try it with some plain boiled potatoes or white rice.
Tip : The pork should be marinated for 8 hours, or overnight for best results.
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 lb pork shoulder or picnic roast cut into 1" cubes
- kosher salt
Marinade
- 4 tsp ground black pepper
- 2 tsp ground cardamom
- 1 tsp Madras Curry Powder
- 3 tsp tamarind sauce
- 1 tbsp olive oil
Curry
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 1/2 medium onion peeled and finely chopped
- 2 tbsp Thai red curry paste
- 1/2 tsp Asian chili sauce
- 2 tbsp tomato paste
- 1 tsp ginger paste
- 3 cloves garlic grated
- 2-3 whole bay leaves
- 1 tbsp sugar or more to taste
Instructions
Gather all ingredients before starting the recipe.
Marinade
- Cut pork into 1" cubes and season on all sides.
- Mix marinade ingredients in a small bowl and stir to combine.
- Transfer pork to a plastic resealable bag and add marinade mixture. Seal bag and then work the marinade onto all pork surfaces so the pork is completely covered. Refrigerate for 8 hours, or over night.
Curry
- Heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a deep sauté pan over medium heat. When the oil is hot, add the bay leaves, ground ginger and onions and sauté until the onions become soft, about 4-5 minutes.
- Add the grated garlic, tomato paste, Thai red curry paste, the Asian chili sauce and stir to combine and sauté for another minute.
- Add the marinated pork and the sugar and stir to combine.
- Bring to a fast simmer, then reduce heat medium low to a gentle simmer, cover and cook for 1 to 1 1/2 hours, or until the pork is fork tender.
Serving
- Serve with plain boiled potatoes or basmati rice.
