Pork Indad (Sweet and Savory Indian Stewed Pork) Recipe

By
Denise D'silva Sankhé
Denise D'silva Sankhé is a Contributing Writer at Serious Eats.
Denise D'silva Sankhé

Denise is the author of The Beyond Curry Indian Cookbook: A Culinary Journey Through India. She wrote the popular Beyond Curry column for Serious Eats starting in 2012.

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Updated April 26, 2019
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Denise D'Silva Sankhe

Some dishes can be made lean. Pork Indad isn't one of them. It is usually found on the Christmas dinner table of every self-respecting Manglorean Catholic home in India, but it sees many encores throughout the year on my table.

It's sweet, tangy, spicy, silky and oh-so-deliciously red. The fat that renders from the meat adds wonderful flavor to the final dish and specks the top with deeper hues of scarlet.

It's loved so dearly in most Manglorean homes that it's one of the first dishes daughters are taught to make, in order to impress potential grooms.

I fall in love with Pork Indad each time its distinct aroma fills the air, as the spice paste creates magic in the hot oil. It's one of those dishes that keeps well for at least a week and actually gets better over time because of that unbeatable combination of chillies and vinegar. But having any leftovers that long has always been far too ambitious a plan for me.

Recipe Details

Pork Indad (Sweet and Savory Indian Stewed Pork) Recipe

Active 15 mins
Total 75 mins
Serves 3 servings

Ingredients

  • 1 pound boneless pork shoulder or belly, cut into 1-inch cubes

  • 6 medium cloves garlic, minced, plus 2 whole

  • 1 tablespoon minced ginger

  • Kosher salt

  • 10 black peppercorns

  • 2 cloves

  • 1-inch piece cinnamon

  • 1/2 teaspoon poppy seeds

  • 1/4 teaspoon turmeric

  • 5 dried small red chiles

  • 1 teaspoon cumin seeds

  • 1 medium onion, grated on the medium holes of a box grater

  • 1/2 tablespoon raisins

  • 1 tablespoon tamarind paste

  • 3 tablespoons white vinegar

  • 2 tablespoons vegetable oil

  • 1 cup water

  • 1/2 teaspoon sugar

  • 2 tablespoons chopped fresh mint leaves

Directions

  1. Toss pork, minced garlic, cinger, and 1 teaspoon salt in a small bowl until pork is thoroughly coated. Set aside.

  2. Toast peppercorns, cloves, cinnamon, poppy seed, turmeric, chili, and cumin seeds in a dry skillet over medium-high heat until fragrant, about 1 minute. Transfer to a spice grinder and grind to a fine powder.

  3. Tansfer to a food processor or blender. Add onion, raisins, tamarind, remaining 2 cloves garlic, and vinegar. Blend until smooth.

  4. Heat oil over high heat in a large heavy-bottomed lidded saucepan until shimmering. Add pork and cook, turning occasionally, until lightly browned on all sides, about 2 minutes, taking care not to burn garlic and ginger (reduce heat as necessary.

  5. Reduce heat to low. Add spice past and stir vigorously until fragrant and oil is infused with red color of paste, about 10 minutes total. Add water and sugar. Cover and cook on medium heat until pork is tender, about 1 hour. Stir in mint leaves. Serve with bread or rice.

Nutrition Facts (per serving)
492Calories
34gFat
17gCarbs
29gProtein
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Nutrition Facts
Servings: 3
Amount per serving
Calories492
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 34g44%
Saturated Fat 10g49%
Cholesterol 102mg34%
Sodium 509mg22%
Total Carbohydrate 17g6%
Dietary Fiber 3g11%
Total Sugars 6g
Protein 29g
Vitamin C 7mg35%
Calcium 111mg9%
Iron 3mg19%
Potassium 663mg14%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.
(Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate.)

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