Indian-spiced pulled pork with onion bhajis and mango chutney
Ingredients
for the pulled pork
1kg Hampshire pork neck fillet, rindless
1 tsp turmeric
2 tbsps ghee or butter
1 red onion
7 large garlic cloves, finely chopped
1 small lobe of ginger, finely diced
7 cardamom pods, crushed
1 tsp coriander seeds, crushed
3 curry leaves
2 tsps curry powder
1 can chopped tomatoes
1 tbsp honey
250ml water
sea salt & black pepper
120ml natural yoghurt
1 small bunch of coriander
for the onion bhajis
180g gram flour
2 tbsp ghee or melted butter
½ lemon juice
1 tsp turmeric
2 tsp cumin seeds
½ tsp fennel seeds
3 hot green chillis, finely chopped
3 tsps ginger
4 cloves garlic, finely chopped
30g coriander, roughly chopped
4 medium white onions, thinly sliced
2 large red onion, thinly sliced
1 litre vegetable oil, for frying
1 large pinch of salt
for the chutney
1 tbsp sunflower oil
1 white onion, thinly sliced
20g ginger, peeled and grated
5 cardamom pods
1 cinnamon stick
½ tsp cumin seed
½ tsp coriander seeds
½ tsp turmeric
1 Bramley apple, peeled, cored, diced
500gm mango, peeled and diced
½ red chilli, finely chopped
175ml white wine vinegar
150g golden caster sugar
1 tsp salt
Method
To cook the pork, pre-heat oven to 140°C/275°F/ gas mark 1. Rinse the pork shoulder under cold water, dry with paper towel and place in a roasting tray. Rub 1 teaspoon of salt and the turmeric over the joint and allow to stand while you make the sauce.
Place a pan on a medium heat and add the ghee or butter. Once melted add the onion and fry until nicely browned. Add the garlic, ginger and spices to the pan heat on a low to medium heat for 1 minute. Add the tinned tomatoes, honey and water, simmer for 5 minutes on a low heat, season with a large pinch of salt and freshly cracked black pepper and pour over the pork. Cover and place in the oven for 5 hours.
To make the bhajis, sift the flour into a bowl, then stir in the butter or ghee and lemon juice to make a double cream consistency. Stir in the spices, herbs and salt and finally the onions until well coated.
Heat the oil or set the temperature on a deep-fat fryer to 180°C. Divide the mixture into 36 small balls and deep-fry until golden brown. Remove from the oil onto kitchen towel to soak up any excess oil. Season with salt.
To make the chutney, heat the oil on a low heat in a deep saucepan, add the onion and slowly fry until softened without colour. Stir in the ginger and continue cooking for a further 4 minutes, then stir in all the spices and fry for a further 4 minutes. Add the apple and 250ml water, cover the pan and simmer for 15 minutes. Stir in the mango and chilli and continue cooking for another 20 minutes until the apple has broken down and the mango is tender. Pour in the vinegar, stir in the sugar and salt, and reduce, uncovered, over a medium to high heat for 30 minutes. Make sure you stir regularly to avoid it burning. Once it looks pulpy, remove from the heat. Place in a Kilner jar or other airtight container and keep in the refrigerator. Bring to room temperature before serving.
To serve, when the pork is cooked, allow it to rest for 10 minutes then gently pull it apart with two forks. Mix through some juices from the baking tray to enhance the flavour. Place some pulled pork on top of the bhajis followed by a spoonful of mango chutney and drizzle with natural yoghurt, finally sprinkle with the finely chopped coriander.