This wonderfully warming curry is as tasty as it looks. It's made with tender strips of pork loin steak and flavoured with fennel, turmeric and coconut milk, with a fresh hit of crunchy green beans.
Once cooked, this pork curry has plenty of rich flavour thanks to the spices and the pork, yet it has a relatively mild heat which can be adapted to your tastes, so it should suit even delicate young palates.
The recipe was created by fabulous Indian chef, Hari Ghotra, who has a real knack for creating delicious, accessible recipes that are easy to cook and perfect for the whole family to enjoy.
Pork is a source of four essential minerals that help the immune system: Vitamins B6 and B12, zinc and selenium. It's also naturally rich in protein, which helps muscle growth.
What's more, pork is easy and versatile to cook with, and pork loin steaks are particularly convenient as they cook quickly. In fact, many pork-based recipes take 30 minutes and under, so they're perfect for mid-week.
Try using pork medallions or loin steaks as an alternative to chicken in your typical mid-week meals, and then go from there.
So, let's make a delicious, quick, easy Keralan Pandi.
Ingredients
- 750 g (1½ lb) pork loin steak or fillet room temperature
- 2 tbsp vegetable oil (canola oil) or coconut oil
- 1 tsp fennel seeds leave out, if preferred
- 2 dried red chillies remove, if preferred
- 2 onions finely diced
- 5 cloves (5 ) garlic minced
- 1 pinch sea salt
- 1 pinch freshly ground black pepper
- 1 tsp ground turmeric
- 400 g (14 oz) canned chopped tomatoes
- 1 fresh green chilli chopped
- 1 tbsp fresh root ginger grated
- 2 tsp ground cumin seeds or cumin powder
- 1 tsp ground coriander or coriander powder
- 200 g (7 oz) canned coconut milk low fat, if preferred
- 100 g (3.5 oz) green beans trimmed
- 1 handful fresh coriander (cilantro) leaves only, chopped
- 1 lime
Equipment
Instructions
Heat a wide pan and add the oil.
Once hot add the whole fennel seeds and red chillies (if you are using them).
Add the onions and sauté until they start to brown.
Then add the garlic.
Remove the fat from the pork and cut into strips.
Season the pork with salt and lots of black pepper and ½ tsp turmeric.
Stir the tinned tomatoes, green chilli, grated ginger into the pan with the onions and stir through.
Once it starts to simmer, add the remaining turmeric, ground cumin and coriander and stir.
Let it reduce and thicken.
Add the meat and stir to coat with the sauce. Reduce the heat and cook for 5-10 minutes.
Pour in the coconut milk and heat through.
Add the trimmed beans and cook for a further 5-10 minutes until the beans are cooked.
When cooked through, check the seasoning and add the coriander leaves, and a squeeze of lime.
Extra tips to help your curry turn out perfectly
Read on to learn how to make sure your Keralan Pandi is perfectly cooked and tastes delicious. You can also learn how to cater to diet restrictions and store safely.
Can I use chicken, shrimp or lamb instead of pork in a Keralan Pandi?
Yes, this Keralan Pandi is very adaptable and works with lots of different meats.
To ensure your curry is both tasty and safe to eat, make sure your meat of choice is cut to an appropriate size and fully cooked through.
Can you reheat a Keralan Pandi and other pork curries?
Yes, as long as it's been stored correctly (cooled and placed in an airtight container in the refrigerator or freezer within 2 hours of cooking - see below), then microwaving your pork curry to reheat it should work fine. Heat in blasts of 1-2 minutes, taking a break to stir to ensure the dish heats evenly all the way through.
If you prefer, you can reheat your Keralan Pandi on the hob. Add your pork curry to a saucepan with a tablespoon or two of water, cover with a lid and cook over a low heat until fully heated through. Make sure to stir it occasionally so it doesn't stick.
Can you refrigerate or freeze the pork curry?
Yes, you can refrigerate this pork curry, as long as it has been cooled and placed in an airtight container in the refrigerator within 2 hours of cooking.
In the fridge, this curry will last up to 3 days. In the freezer, it will last up to 4 months.
This pork curry also freezes quite well, and again you will need to ensure it is placed in an airtight container in the freezer within 2 hours of cooking.
To eat, reheat from frozen.
A curry that has been frozen and defrosted should retain most of its texture and flavour, but you may find it that it loses a little potency of the spices.
Can I make the Kerlan Pandi paste now to use in curries later?
Yes! The base of this curry is a delicious blend of very gently fried onions and spices. If you like, you could make a big batch and freeze into portions.
Then, if you're planning ahead, you could defrost a portion of the past and cook with tinned tomatoes, green chilli, grated ginger, coconut milk, pork and beans whenever you like.
My pork curry is too spicy and hot, can I make it milder?
If you haven't made the curry yet, the easiest way to make it milder is to leave out the red chillis.
If you've already made the curry, making it milder will prove a little more complicated.
There's no way to easily take the heat out of a curry other than to dilute it with other, non-spicy ingredients. This will, of course, change the taste and consistency, but with enough coconut milk and extra veg to counteract the spiciness, you should be able to come up with something that milder and still very tasty.
Can I make my pork curry hotter?
You can, of course, add extra chilli on top of the recommended 2 dried red chillies. This will, however, make the whole dish hotter, which might not be ideal if you are sharing with family members who prefer a milder curry.
Adding chopped chilli directly to a finished curry can add flecks of heat, which can be pleasant, although it won't distribute evenly.
If you want to add heat to just some of the curry once it's made, I recommend setting it aside in a separate pot, then warming a little oil in a warm pan and adding an additional finely chopped chilli. Fry your chilli for a few minutes, then add to your reserved curry along with the oil it fried in and stir through.
I'm having trouble finding a spice, what's the best place to find spices?
All of the spices in this pork curry should be readily available in your local supermarket. If you don't have time to get a particular spice, you could leave it out.
If you're ever making a curry with more unusual spices and having trouble locating a certain spice, a good tip is to have a quick search on the internet to make sure it doesn't go by any other names - sometimes you'll find out it's actually been easily available all along!
If that doesn't work local speciality shops or online retailers are your best bet.
How should I store spices?
Once opened, curry spices should be stored separately in dry, airtight containers somewhere cool and out of sunlight.
How can I grind my own spices?
If you only make curries occasionally, you should be able to pick up a small pestle and mortar in the supermarket for a few pounds that will do the job just fine.
If you're getting really into making your own spice blends and want really fine grind, you might choose to invest in an electric spice/coffee grinder, which works a treat with much less effort - just don't use the same grinder for coffee and spices!
Is this Keralan Pandi curry gluten-free?
Yes, this pork curry is naturally gluten-free!
Just be aware that some dried spices can contain traces of gluten so, as ever, check the label of all of your ingredients before you start cooking.
What is Kerala cuisine?
Kerala is a state in the south of India famed for lots of dishes, many of which are vegetarian but often also include fish, chicken and red meat.
Kerala has a rich history in trade, which makes for some amazing flavour combinations and the chillies, coconut and turmeric found in this dish are all staples of Kerala cuisine, along with curry leaves, mustard seeds and tamarind.
Visit lovepork.co.uk for more pork recipe inspiration if you'd like to print this coconut-pork curry recipe to try later, just hit PRINT on the recipe card below.
Keralan Pandi - South Indian Coconut-Pork Curry
Ingredients
- 750 g (1½ lb) pork loin steak or fillet room temperature
- 2 tbsp vegetable oil (canola oil) or coconut oil
- 1 tsp fennel seeds leave out, if preferred
- 2 dried red chillies remove, if preferred
- 2 onions finely diced
- 5 cloves (5 ) garlic minced
- 1 pinch sea salt
- 1 pinch freshly ground black pepper
- 1 tsp ground turmeric
- 400 g (14 oz) canned chopped tomatoes
- 1 fresh green chilli chopped
- 1 tbsp fresh root ginger grated
- 2 tsp ground cumin seeds or cumin powder
- 1 tsp ground coriander or coriander powder
- 200 g (7 oz) canned coconut milk low fat, if preferred
- 100 g (3.5 oz) green beans trimmed
- 1 handful fresh coriander (cilantro) leaves only, chopped
- 1 lime
Instructions
- Heat a wide pan and add the oil, once hot add the whole fennel seeds and red chillies (if you are using them).
- Add the onions and sauté until they start to brown then add the garlic.
- Remove the fat from the pork and cut into strips. Season the pork with salt and lots of black pepper and ½ tsp turmeric.
- Stir the tinned tomatoes, green chilli, grated ginger into the pan with the onions and stir through.
- Once it starts to simmer, add the remaining turmeric, ground cumin and coriander and stir. Let it reduce and thicken.
- Add the meat and stir to coat with the sauce. Reduce the heat and cook for 5-10 minuets.
- Pour in the coconut milk and heat through then add the trimmed beans and cook for a further 5-10 minutes until the beans are cooked.
- When cooked through, check the seasoning and add the coriander leaves, and a squeeze of lime. Serve with plain rice.
Video
Nutrition
Yum! What do you think of this warming curry?
This is a commissioned post for Love Pork
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John says
Absolutely delicious!
The fennel came through beautifully... It says its optional, but please don't leave it out!
I didn't have dried chillies so used a couple of teaspoons of chilli flakes instead.
It took me longer to cook than suggested, I think because my pan was a bit small everything took a bit longer and I had to add the meat in batches. Despite that, it all came together into a beautiful consistency! The whole family loved it. Only I like fresh corriander so I added that on my plate. I don't think it suffered for that.
I will definitely be cooking this again. It is nice to have a rich, fragrant and tasty curry that doesn't take too long to prepare!
Thank you for sharing this recipe.
Emily Leary says
Fantastic! Thanks so much for sharing.
John says
No problem. What size pan is yours in the pics? I used a similar one but it is only 26 cm and too small for the quantities in the recipe. Been thinking about upgrading but not sure what size to go for!
Emily Leary says
I tend to use a 30cm casserole dish for this sort of recipe, but it doesn't need to be a shallow dish - a large, taller saucepan would do the trick.
Jayashree Sengupta says
Wow, great recipe. Looks yummy. To be honest I am not that into pork but I am trying this with chicken, hope there would not be much differences. So all in all I am making a surprise dinner for my family.
Emily Leary says
Yes, Hari Ghotra's recipe is awesome - this curry tastes so good and it's not at all difficult to make. Let me know what your family think!
Jordan Nunamaker says
I haven't had curry in so long! And I've definitely never had it in this style before. It looks absolutely scrumptious! I'm excited to try.
Emily Leary says
Oh yes, do give it a go - it's so tasty.
Yvette says
A very colourful and mouth watering post
Emily Leary says
Thanks very much!
Jacque Hastert says
This sounds like a great dinner recipe. I love all the flavors you have combined into this simple dish.
Emily Leary says
Thanks so much, Jacque.
Holly says
This coconut pork curry looks really delicious! It has so many warm and inviting spices and the green beans are a great addition too!
Emily Leary says
Yes it all comes together really nicely!
Julie says
This looks delicious - I find that pork can sometimes be a little too bland, but definitely not with all these spices!
Emily Leary says
It's all about the way you cook it! A recipe like this allows the flavours of the pork into the sauce, and the flavours of the sauce into the pork - perfect!
Anne Murphy says
That sounds delicious! I use pork loin often, and was looking for a few more things to do with bite sized pieces (easier for my mother in law to handle) We all enjoy curry, so this just filled the bill!
Emily Leary says
Ah that's fantastic! Do please let me know when you get a chance to make it!
Veronika's Kitchen says
Love this recipe, so simple and full of flavor! and your step by step pictures are amazing!
Emily Leary says
Thank you! It's a pleasure to make.
Sharon says
I love creamy, sweet coconut with the spicy curry flavor. This is a perfect dish for the cooler months for sure.
Emily Leary says
Yes, perfect for cosy nights!
Lorie says
I can never get enough curry. My hubby isn’t a fan so I will be making this all for myself. Winning!!
Emily Leary says
Haha! Yes, keep it all for you!
Eileen Kelly says
One pot meals are my favorite! Make it a curry dish and I am over the moon! Love the flavors and using pork is awesome. I love cooking with pork too!
Emily Leary says
Yes! The less washing up to do, the better!
Kerry Norris says
I love Keralan flavours so I'll have to give this a go. It looks delicious. Watched the video too and it does look easy to make.
Emily Leary says
Fantastic. I hope you enjoy it and thanks!
Amanda Mason says
I LOVE your step-by-step instructions and pictures!! These are so helpful to the user!! I had no idea pork had those 3 essential minerals! This is a perfect dinner recipe! I'm excited to make this for my family! Printing this off now!!
Emily Leary says
Thanks so much I'm so excited to hear how you got on.
Anna says
Wow! your post made me so hungry haha going to try this tonight for dinner thanks for the idea!
Emily Leary says
Hehe, that's the goal! I hope you got a chance to make and enjoy it.
Sania Ahmed says
Now a days I am falling for these coconut curry taste, this seems to be a great recipe to try ... thanks for sharing :)
Emily Leary says
Thank you - yes it's really delicious.
lauren says
Your photos are so vivid and beautiful! Love all the process shots. It makes the dish look even more drool worthy.
Emily Leary says
Thank you so much!
Kara says
I don;t think I have ever made a curry with pork, it looks delicious
Emily Leary says
It shows how versatile pork can be, doesn't it! I hope you get a chance to try it.
Prashant says
Looks great. I am vegetarian :) so, I will have to give it a pass. But your style of presenting is great.
Emily Leary says
Thank you - I really enjoy sharing recipes and tips on camera and Hari was great to work with.
Debbie says
That looks so nice. Easy too!
Emily Leary says
Thanks!
Rachael says
Looks so easy to do, I love how you explain the stepsvwoth pictures all the way through. It makes learning a new recipe so much easier.
Emily Leary says
Thanks so much, Rachel!
Tania says
OMG cant believe i finally found this recipe! Ive been searching for ages and this finally seems legit! Thanks for sharing ill be trying this tomorrow
Emily Leary says
Yay! I hope you got a chance to make it and that you enjoyed it!
StuartBrazell says
I am such a fan of Curry I think it always hits the spot especially if I'm craving something with some extra special flavor
Emily Leary says
Yes me too! Curry for the win!
Jojo Hua says
This sounds incredible and looks so delicious. I already love Thai green curry for it's coconut taste, so I'm sure I'd love this too.
Emily Leary says
Yes I'm sure you would love it!
Frank says
This is a great looking recipe. I'm vegan, but I think I can make this plant based quite easily substituting the meat for more veggies. Thank you for sharing!
Emily Leary says
Great. Enjoy!
Daphne' Adams says
This recipe looks good. You did an awesome job of being detailed and posting steps and pictures step by step.
Emily Leary says
Thanks so much!
Lyndsay-Rose says
This sounds like a lovely recipe! I've never had pork curry before. Only ever a chicken korma or lamb bhana
Emily Leary says
Ah, you'll love this then - so tasty and a bit different from the norm.
Laura Dove says
Oh wow that does sound super tasty! I love coconut in savoury dishes, can't wait to try it!
Emily Leary says
Me too! Hope you enjoy.
Rachael Eberhardt says
This India dish looks really delicious and seeing this photos makes me really hungry, yummy!
Emily Leary says
Thank you and yay!
StuartBrazell says
Curry always hits the spot for me I am definitely going to try out this recipe
Emily Leary says
Yes! There's something extra satisfying around a curry.
Katie says
Yummy! This looks so good. I love recipes that have lime especially. I'm working on my meal planning efforts this fall.
Emily Leary says
Excellent - I find meal planning really works for us.
Karla says
Wow!the food looks delicious! The way you prepare it,its so perfect. Thank you for sharing your recipe. My hubby will definitely love this.
Emily Leary says
Thanks so much! Hari is an amazing chef.
Geraline Batarra says
This dish looks really delicious and looks so easy to make. I will try to make this for my family on this coming weekends.
Emily Leary says
Thank you so much. I hope you all really enjoy it.
Chloé Arnold says
THis looks DIVINE! Do you know how it would taste with chicken?!
Emily Leary says
Thank you! I'm sure it would work, just be careful to make sure the chicken is fully cooked through, of course.
Sara Welch says
Coconut is such a fun ingredient to cook with. It really adds a ton of variety to whatever you eat!
Emily Leary says
It does!
Christa says
I love curry, especially when it's super spicy. This recipe looks great. And anything cooked in a single pot is perfect!
Emily Leary says
Yes absolutely - single pot is a big favourite for me too.
Ellie Plummer says
I don't eat pork but this does sound really delicious so I would love to try a vegetarian version of this.
Emily Leary says
Hope you enjoy!
Violeta Salomé León says
I didnt know pork has such great vitamins! I love this recipe, is easy to follow and I'll try it, my son love's when I cook new recipes!
Emily Leary says
Thank you so much.
Nicole says
This looks so delicious! I have heard that cooking pork and even chicken is so good, so I'll have to give this a try! Thanks for sharing!
Emily Leary says
Awesome. I hope you love it.
Jordan Nunamaker says
Ahhh just looking at that recipe made my mouth water. I will have to give this a shot!
Emily Leary says
Amazing. Enjoy!
Lisa says
Yum, this looks so delicious! I haven't tried anything like this before, but would like to give it a go. I love the photos too.
Emily Leary says
Thanks so much - it's a very pretty dish to photograph.
Jesusa Gilliam says
We would have to sub pork for chicken, but it sounds delicious! I love the step by step instructions it makes it so much easier to follow.
Emily Leary says
Enjoy!
Lyosha says
Give me curry everything! I love curry so much, it actually makes me want to food travel to its origin. Great recipe, I love coconut base
Emily Leary says
Haha me too!
Dawn says
I don't often think of using pork for curry, usually chicken or vegetarian, but will have to try pork next time. Looks so good, especially with coconut - my fave!
Emily Leary says
Great stuff! Thank you!
Emily Fata says
I went to Kerala this spring and it was a dream! I've been missing the incredible food ever since... I'll have to make this to bring me back! :-)
Emily Leary says
Wonderful!
kim says
So much yummy flavor! I love how you showed all of the steps. Can't wait to make this for my family!
Emily Leary says
Thank you - I try to make it as easy to follow as possible :)
Marcie says
I love that you added crunchy green beans! This looks super tasty!
Emily Leary says
Yes, they're delicious and as they're added near the end, they stay vibrant and delicious.
Megan says
This sounds soooo delicious. I want to give it a try for dinner :) Thanks for sharing!
Emily Leary says
Fab! I hope you enjoy.
Lucy Dorrington says
I love coconut in a curry, this sounds right up my street. Nice to see pork for a change too!
Emily Leary says
Thank you!
Gloria says
We love curry. This looks easy and delicious. What a great recipe to make and tuck away in the freezer too. Comfort food season is just around the corner. Looks like a winner.
Emily Leary says
Yes, absolutely! I love have comforting meals ready in the freezer.
Ar says
Wow, this looks awesome! I don't eat pork though so would it work well to substitute it for chicken perhaps? Gorgeous photos - I'm hungry now!
Emily Leary says
Yes, it would working with other meats for sure.
Newcastle Family Life says
This looks delicious, I have never made a pork curry before x
Emily Leary says
Yes, it's easy to fall into a rut only using certain meats for certain meals, so I'm loving this recipe.
lauren porter says
Wow this looks amazing. I love anything you can cook in just one pot! Your photos are great too - so useful showing each part in detail :)
Emily Leary says
Thanks so much - I do like to hope it makes it extra easy to follow when you can see what easy stage is supposed to look like.
Preet says
I just love everything about this! Everyone can dig right in!! My husband would absolutely love these. This would disappear in no time at our house!
Emily Leary says
Absolutely - brilliant family food and only 1 pot to wash up!
Talya says
Oh my goodness this looks so delicious and creamy only thing is I don’t eat pork and so wondering if this could be switched for chicken?
Emily Leary says
I'm sure it could be :)
Czjai Reyes-Ocampo says
Your version of curry looks so yummy! Will give this a try this weekend - my son is a huge curry fan. :)
Emily Leary says
Awesome! Enjoy!
Bianca osbourne says
This looks absolutely delicious! I see myself making this during the winter months!
Emily Leary says
Absolutely!
Amy Brown says
Thank you for showing how to do this. It looks delicious and would be an exciting new recipe for the family.
Emily Leary says
Thank you so much!
Viv says
This looks brilliant! My hubs loves a good curry and love the step-by-step instructions with pictures
Emily Leary says
I'm so glad the pics are useful - they take a lot of extra time but I feel that it makes the recipes as easy to follow as possible.
Scott Gombar says
This looks and sounds very tasty. I am horrible in the kitchen but will try to get my wife to make this.
Emily Leary says
I hope you all enjoy.
Nomads4Life says
looks delicious. I'm glad I can leave the fennel out. How would this be different if you used shrimp? I assume the cooking time would change.
Emily Leary says
Yes if you're using different meats you need to adjust how long you cook according to the time it takes to get that meat cooked through and up to a safe temperature.
Cathleen @ A Taste of Madness says
I have been eating curry for months and I am still not sick of it. This looks so good, maybe I will add this to my long list of curries to make!
Emily Leary says
Same! I will never be sick of curry!
Fiona Cambouropoulos says
Coconut is a key ingredient for me in a curry. I love the idea of pork and coconut, I don't usually use pork for curries but we have enough of it on the farm! .
Emily Leary says
Yes, I love the creaminess it adds. And yes, try it! It's so much more versatile than we think.
Tracey Kifford says
That looks amazing! I’m really hungry now!
Emily Leary says
Thanks so much Tracey!
LISA JEAN-FRANCOIS says
seriously, can you just adopt me? I'd be your oldest and eventually fattest kid, but i'd be happy! Happy and full. This meal looks amazing!
Emily Leary says
Hahaha. Now that's a compliment! Thank you!
Sydney | AWorldInReach.com says
This looks delicious, and easy too! My boyfriend mentioned wanting to make curry soon so I'll have to share this recipe with him.
Emily Leary says
Fantastic - I hope you both enjoy it.
Eva Katona says
I love coconut curries they are my favourites!
Emily Leary says
Yes! So tasty!
Mary Meier says
Your pictures are beyond gorgeous! Thank you for the step-by-step with pics! So helpful when trying a new recipe!!!
Emily Leary says
Thank you so much. I really appreciate your kind words.
Taryn says
I can almost taste the flavors through these photos! Indian food is so yummy.
Emily Leary says
Oh, thank you! That's lovely to hear.
Shar says
Oooh my hubby and I love Indian food! I will definitely have to try this recipe soon... thanks for sharing!
Emily Leary says
Excellent!
TravelTips says
Have been to Kerala many times and have never tried it! So sad! It seems so so tasty
Emily Leary says
Make it! It's easy, quick and yummy.
Leila says
This looks and sounds yummy. Pinning for later.
Emily Leary says
Thank you! I hope you get a chance to cook it up.
Jon says
This curry looks absolutely amazing! Going to give it a try on Friday night I think!
Emily Leary says
Fantastic! Let me know how you get on!
Alexandra says
Well, how scrumptious does this look! I am going to cook this tomorrow night. Thank you so much for sharing! :)
Emily Leary says
Yay! I'm sure you'll love it. Send me a pic when you do, please.