Enough cannot be said of the Sri Lankan delicacy black pork curry. It is a delicious and truly flavorful dish—every family has their own generational recipe. This recipe may not be one you learn overnight. It is, however, worthy of the time and effort you’ll put into preparing it. Its spiciness comes from the black pepper and its black color from the roasted curry powder and roasted coconut.
Recipe information
Yield
Serves 4
Ingredients
Preparation
Step 1
Start by dry-roasting the rice and coconut. Set a stainless-steel pan over high heat. When the pan is hot, add the rice. Watch the rice closely, as the heat will make the grains begin to pop. Shake the pan to help roast the grains evenly, to quicken the popping, and to avoid burning.
Step 2
When the grains are evenly roasted and browned, pour them onto a plate or into a bowl and set aside to cool.
Step 3
Set the pan back over high heat. Add the coconut to the pan.
Step 4
Using the back of a fork or spoon, lightly press the coconut into the pan to quicken the roasting. Working quickly, stir the coconut around in the pan and shake the pan to help the pieces roast evenly.
Step 5
When the coconut is almost black (but not burnt) transfer it to a separate dish and set aside to cool. (There may be some pieces that are still whitish in colour.)
Step 6
Using a mortar and pestle, grind half of the roasted rice grains. Add the pepper (or whole peppercorns) and continue grinding until the rice looks like fine crumbs. Pour into a bowl and set aside.
Step 7
Pour the coconut into the mortar and pound it until it looks like fine coffee grounds. If the coconut is fresh, there will be a bit of oil. Set aside.
Step 8
Cut the pork and its fat into 1-inch chunks and place them in a pot. Add the goraka (or lemon juice), onion, garlic, ginger, curry leaves, curry powder, paprika, cayenne, turmeric, and salt. Add enough cold water to just cover the meat mixture, set the pot over medium-high heat, and cover. Once it has reached a boil, turn down the heat to medium-low and let it cook, covered, for 45 minutes. Check occasionally to see if more salt is needed.
Step 9
Add the ground rice and coconut mixture to the pork. Mix everything to combine, turn down the heat to low, partially cover, and let simmer for another 15 minutes.
