Pork belly curry loosely based on a recipe from Sri Lanka that's loaded with black pepper, tamarind and whole slow-cooked garlic cloves.
This is a slow-cooked dish, and it takes a couple of hours to prepare and cook, but the techniques are easy, and you only spend around a quarter of that time in the kitchen.
Sri Lankan Influenced Pork Curry
Pork belly makes regular appearances here on my site.
It is probably my favourite cut of meat. Not only is it delicious, but it is both relatively cheap and a really forgiving cut of meat, which makes it very easy to cook.
I've used it in dishes with global influences; its flavour profile and fat content mean that it plays wonderfully with big flavours.
I have Vitenamese-influenced glazed pork belly, Korean-influenced gochujang pork belly, a classic Indonesian dish called babi chin... and of course an old-school British roast joint of pork belly.
Here, it gets used in a curry, and curried pork is not as unusual as many believe. Pork vindaloo is an absolute classic, and I even have a minced pork curry.
This dish is my take on a Sri Lankan black pork belly curry, and it is loaded with black pepper, curry leaves and whole garlic cloves.
Everything is cooked down slowly until it is rich and sticky. It is finished with a roasted curry powder that features even more black pepper and plenty of fennel.
If you are looking to do something different with your curry game, then give this a try!
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I use a leaner cut of pork?
The fatty nature of pork belly is very much needed to make this recipe. As a result, you can't really make this recipe with many other cuts of meat.
You might be able to get away with using some pork blade, which comes from the top of the shoulder, although it is not an optimal choice.
Can I use store-bought curry powder?
Yes, but the flavour profiles will be very different, and the difference between freshly ground toasted spices and store-bought mixes is night and day.
Is it ok to use whole garlic cloves?
Yes, definitely! There is a Sri Lankan garlic clove curry that influenced my use of them in this dish.
They cook down fairly slowly and mellow out quite a lot and have a similar flavour profile to roasted or confit garlic.
Can I use tamarind concentrate?
Yes, although you will need to do your own calculations based on the concentration of the brand that you use.
I prefer to use tamarind pulp because I find that I get more consistent results.
Can I make this in advance?
Definitely, like so many heavily spiced recipes, this improves with time. It will sit in the fridge for a couple of days and will freeze for up to 3 months.
Pop it in a saucepan with a splash of water, cover it with a lid and reheat over a medium heat.
Any leftovers are also wonderful in my Sri Lankan-influenced kottu roti recipe.
Serving Suggestions
I've served this Sri Lankan-influenced pork belly curry with plain rice and homemade chapatis in these pictures.
You could, of course, add a pilau rice or even better, a South Indian coconut rice instead.
A tandoori-style naan bread would also work well as a bread option, although I usually prefer it with a wetter curry.
I also love to serve drier curries with potatoes, both my roasted Bombay potatoes and aloo methi (fenugreek potatoes) recipes work well with this dish.
Equipment Used
I only name-check brands of equipment if I think that they make a material difference to a recipe. But if you have any questions, feel free to ask them in the comments section below the recipe.
- Hob/Stovetop.
- 28cm or 11" saucepan.
- Stirring and serving spoons.
- Kettle or other water-boiling device.
- Small mixing bowl.
- Fine mesh sieve.
- Pestle and mortar or spice grinder.
- Kitchen knife.
- Chopping board.
- A combination of weighing scales, a measuring jug, measuring cups and spoons.
Sri Lankan Influenced Pork Belly Curry Recipe
Ingredients
- 400 g Pork Belly 14oz
- 35-40 g Tamarind Pulp 25-30mm or 1" Cube
- 35-40 g Boiling Water 2-3 Tbsp
- 1 teaspoon Black Peppercorns
- 1 tablespoon Dark Brown Sugar
- ½ teaspoon Kashmiri Chilli Powder
- ½ teaspoon Ground Turmeric
- ½ teaspoon Salt
- 30 g Ghee 2 tablespoon
- 15-20 Curry Leaves
- 10 cm Cinnamon Bark 4" Piece
- 1 Blade Mace
- 6 Dried Red Kashmiri Chilli Peppers
- 1 Black Cardamom Pod
- 1 Stick Lemongrass
- 1 Head of Garlic
- 1 Medium Red Onion 150g
- 250 ml Water 1 Cup
For the Toasted Curry Powder:
- ½ tablespoon Coriander Seeds
- ½ tablespoon Black Onion Seeds
- ½ teaspoon Black Peppercorns
- ½ teaspoon Fennel Seeds
- ½ teaspoon Cumin Seeds
Instructions
- Soak the tamarind in the boiling water for 10 minutes, then mash it and pass it through a fine mesh sieve.
- If your pork belly has the rind on, remove and discard it and then cut the meat into bite-sized pieces and place it in a bowl and add the tamarind.
- Coarsely grind the black pepper (for the curry, do not grind the pepper for the curry powder) and add it to the pork along with the brown sugar, chilli powder, turmeric, and salt, then mix well and set aside for at least 30 minutes; overnight is better.
- Bash the stick of lemongrass with the back of a knife to bruise it.
- Lightly crack the cardamom pod with the side of a knife.
- Break open the head of garlic and peel the cloves.
- Top and tail the red onion, peel it and then cut it into strips (top to bottom) that are around 2-3mm (⅛") thick.
- Heat a 28cm or 11" saucepan over a high heat and add the ghee. When the ghee has melted, add the curry leaves, cinnamon bark, mace, dried chilli peppers, cardamom pod and lemongrass, then cook everything for 30-60 seconds.
- Add the onions, reduce the heat to medium and cook for 7-10 minutes or until the onions have softened.
- Add the marinated pork and garlic cloves, turn the heat back up to high and cook for 7-10 minutes, stirring regularly.
- Pour in the water, stir, then reduce the heat to low-medium and cook for 60 minutes, topping up with water if needed. You are looking for an almost dry curry at the end of this period with very tender pork.
- Whilst the pork is cooking, place all of the ingredients for the toasted curry powder into a small frying pan over a high heat and toast them until they are fragrant (2-3 minutes).
- Transfer the toasted spices to a pestle and mortar, and grind them whilst they are hot.
- Once the pork is tender, pour in the toasted "curry powder", give everything a stir, then add a splash of water and cook for a final 5 minutes, then serve. I find that it is easier to remove the cinnamon and lemongrass at this point.
