SPICES
DRIED CHILLIES AND GROUND CORIANDER ADD ANOTHER LEVEL OF HEAT AND SPICE TO THE FRESH AROMATICS IN THIS SEAFOOD LAKSA
PORK RIB CURRY
SERVES 6
This tastes best if you do the first stage of the cooking, then chill overnight before roasting in the oven the next day.
1kg pork ribs (ask your butcher to halve them crossways into 4-6cm short racks), cut into individual half ribs
100g tamarind puree
100g ghee
1 red onion, chopped
3 garlic cloves, finely chopped
3cm piece (15g) ginger, finely chopped
2 long red chillies, thinly sliced on an angle
½ cup loosely packed fresh curry leaves, plus 6 sprigs curry leaves to serve
6 cardamom pods, bruised
1 cinnamon quill
3 star anise
2 x 6cm pandanus leaves (from Asian food shops), tied in a knot
1 cup (250ml) coconut milk Juice of
1 lime Thinly sliced red chilli, to serve
TOASTED RICE SPICE MIX
2 tbs coriander seeds
3 tsp fennel seeds
3 tsp basmati rice
2 tsp brown mustard seeds
1 tsp black peppercorns
1 tsp cardamom pods
1 cinnamon quill, broken into pieces
4 cloves
1 tbs chilli powder
½ cup dried curry leaves
For the spice mix, place all ingredients, except the chilli and curry leaves, in a frypan over medium-low heat and cook, stirring regularly, for 5-6 minutes until mixture has darkened slightly. Add chilli powder (be careful, the chilli can give off a pungent aroma) and curry leaves, and cook, stirring regularly, for 1-2 minutes until fragrant. Using a mortar and pestle, pound spice mixture until finely ground.
Combine the pork, spice mix and 1 tsp salt flakes in a bowl. Chill for 1 hour to marinate.
Meanwhile, combine the tamarind puree with 1 cup (250ml) boiling water and set aside.
Preheat oven to 150°C. Melt 1 tbs ghee in a large, heavy-based flameproof casserole with a fitted lid over medium heat. Add the onion, garlic, ginger, chilli and curry leaves, and cook, stirring occasionally, for 3 minutes or until onion has softened. Increase heat to high, add pork mixture and cook, stirring occasionally, for 3-4 minutes until pork is lightly browned. Stir through the tamarind mixture, cardamom, cinnamon, star anise, pandanus and coconut milk
