Pork Jhol | Bengali Pork Curry (with Aloo!)
Bengali Pork Jhol, a delicious Bengali-style pork curry, is all about tender pieces of pork simmered with generous chunks of potato in a rich, flavorful gravy. The secret lies in the carefully chosen spices that create a truly special dish. Enjoy it best served hot with fluffy steamed rice.
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Servings: 5 People
Calories: 439kcal
Cost: Rs 500
Ingredients
- 500 g Pork curry cut
- 4 Potato big
- 2 Onion
- 1 teaspoon Ginger Paste
- 1 teaspoon Garlic Paste
- 200 g Plain Curd preferably hung curd
- 1 teaspoon Bengali Garam Masala Powder
- ½ tablespoon Sugar
- ⅓ teaspoon Kashmiri Red Chili Powder:
- ⅓ teaspoon Turmeric Powder
- 1.5 teaspoon Salt or to taste
- 1 tablespoon Ghee optional
- 4 tablespoon Mustard Oil
For Marination:
- 2 tablespoon Onion Paste
- ½ teaspoon Ginger Paste
- 1 teaspoon Garlic Paste
- ½ teaspoon Cumin Powder
- ½ teaspoon Coriander Powder
- 1 teaspoon Kashmiri Red Chili Powder
- ½ tablespoon Sugar
- 1 tablespoon Mustard Oil
For tempering:
- 1 Red Chili
- 1 Bay Leaf
- 1 inch Cinnamon Stick
- 6 Clove
- 4 Green Cardamom
- 2 Black Cardamom
To make the Spice Paste:
- ½ teaspoon Cumin Powder
- ½ teaspoon Coriander Powder
- 1 teaspoon Kashmiri Red Chili Powder
- ½ tablespoon Sugar
- ½ tablespoon Mustard Oil
Instructions
- Before marinating, wash the meat well and dry it with a cloth.
Marination
- Mix pork pieces with ground onion, ginger, garlic, cumin, coriander, Kashmiri red chili, sugar, and mustard oil. Let it sit overnight or for 8 hours.
Spice mix for Bengali Pork Jhol
- Combine cumin, coriander, Kashmiri red chili, and sugar with mustard oil to form a thick mixture. Set aside for 15 minutes before adding it to the curry while cooking.
Prep Work
- Peel potatoes and cut them in half or into quarters, depending on their size. You can look at the picture for reference.
- Roughly chop the onions. Thin slices will also work.
Bengali Pork Curry Cooking Process
- In a large pot, heat the oil and begin frying the potatoes after dusting them with turmeric and red chili powder. These spices help give the potatoes and sauce a nice color.
- After frying, remove the potatoes from the oil and set them aside. Frying the potatoes well on medium heat should take about 3 minutes.
- Next, add red chili, bay leaf, cinnamon stick, clove, green cardamom, and black cardamom to the remaining oil in the pot to flavor it.
- Add sugar and let it brown.
- Now, add the chopped onion and cook over low heat until it becomes clear.
- Add ground ginger and garlic along with 1 tablespoon.
- Simmer the mixture in water until the paste no longer smells raw.
- Mix in plain yogurt quickly to prevent it from separating.
- Add the spice paste and cook on low heat until the oil separates from the mixture's edges.
- Add salt and stir.
- Add the pork, including the marinade, and combine everything well.
- Cook on low heat, stirring occasionally.
- Cook for about 10 minutes.
- The pork will release its own liquid, so there's no need to add extra water.
- Cover the pan and cook for 15-20 minutes.
- When the pork is partially cooked, add the fried potatoes.
- Continue cooking until the meat is as tender as you like, which should take about an hour overall.
- If needed, add a bit of water and bring to a boil.
- Finish the Pork Jhol, or Bengali Pork Curry, with Garam Masala and Ghee if you like.
- Serve the Bengali Pork Jhol hot with your favorite carbohydrate. We like it with Gobindobhog rice.
Notes
Recipe Tips
- Add salt to taste, but only after the meat has marinated. Feel free to adjust the chili powder to your desired level of spiciness. I love using Kashmiri red chili because it gives the gravy a gorgeous color and just the right amount of warmth.
- While ghee and garam masala are optional, I highly recommend including them if you want to achieve that authentic Bengali flavor.
- I like to use mustard oil for Pork Jhol, but you can use vegetable oil instead. Keep in mind that mustard oil provides a unique aroma that you won't get with other oils.
- If you don't have curd on hand, yogurt makes a perfect substitute.
- Lastly, I find that lean pork works best for this Bengali curry. If your pork is fattier, like 80/20 or 70/30, be sure to reduce the amount of oil you use, as the pork will cook in its own rendered fat.
- One last tip: Cooking time will depend on the kind of pork you're using, so keep a close watch. I prefer slow cooking, but you can certainly use a pressure cooker if you're short on time.
Nutrition
Serving: 150g | Calories: 439kcal | Carbohydrates: 35.3g | Protein: 32g | Fat: 18.8g | Saturated Fat: 3.4g | Cholesterol: 75mg | Sodium: 566mg | Fiber: 4.9g | Sugar: 8.2g
