Mangalorean Pork Bafat / DukraMass / Pork Curry

Pictured: Pork Bafat served with Pao (Milk Buns); traditionally enjoyed with sannas(steamed rice cakes)

A dish, that has every kid in my family peeling garlic on Sundays, Birthdays, Get together..s, Easter and Christmas. Also, God bless if you're in Mangalore with a big, big family. This dish is passed down to every mangi kid and the spice mix aka Bafat pito travels all around the world ;)

       Ingredients

• Pork 1kg - cleaned and cubed
• Salt 1tbsp + 1/2 tsp
• Bafat powder 2tbsp
• Red Kashmiri Chilli powder 2tsp
• Bay leaf 4
• Cloves/Laung 8
• Cardamon 3
• Black Peppercorns 10
• Cinnamon stick 2 inches - 2
• Ginger 2 inches sliced
• Garlic 1 pod, flaked and sliced in half
• Green Chillies 4, slit in half
• Vinegar 2tbsp
• Onions 2 large, sliced lengthwise

Everything goes in a pot, yay less clean up !!!

Note: Use a deep dish/ vessel to cook in.

Method

1. Add in pork, salt, dry whole spices, and powder spices as shown in the image. Give this a good mix.

2. Add in vinegar, garlic, ginger, green chillies, and mix. Then place the vessel on low flame, cover and allow it to simmer for 30mins

 3. After 30mins,  add in the onions, mix. Remember to keep the vessel covered at all times, this preserves all the flavour and liquid. Add in a little bit of water as you go, based on your preference (for gravy, also to ensure there is enough fluid to cook the pork). I used about 3/4cup. Check for salt, vinegar. For that extra sour note, you can add Kokum rind 3 / or 2tbsp of tamarind water squeezed from a small(marble-sized) ball of tamarind. You can increase the heat to medium but slow cooking is best. This will take an hour + 30mins.

4. Cook till meat is tender, you don't want the meat to fall apart, you will notice the fat floating on top when it's ready.

5. You definitely want to have this the next day, the pork will absorb all the flavors in that pot.

 

Yum in my Tum :)