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Keralan Pandi – South Indian Coconut-Pork Curry

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A close of up of Keralan Pandi, a South Indian coconut-pork curry

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.

I popped to her house to learn how to cook it.

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.

A plate shown with a serving of South Indian coconut-pork curry

Ingredients

  • 600g-900g (1.3-2 lbs) pork loin steak or fillet (room temperature)
  • 2 tablespoons rapeseed oil or coconut oil
  • 1 tsp fennel seeds (you can leave these out)
  • 2 dried red chillies (you can remove these if you like your food mild)
  • 2 onions, finely diced
  • 5 garlic cloves, minced
  • Sea salt
  • Freshly ground black pepper
  • 1 teaspoon ground turmeric
  • 400g (14.1 oz) tinned tomatoes
  • 1 fresh green chilli, chopped
  • 1 tablespoon freshly grated ginger
  • 2 teaspoons cumin seeds, ground or cumin powder
  • 1 teaspoon coriander seeds, ground coriander powder
  • 200g (7 oz) coconut milk (low fat if you prefer)
  • 100g (3.5 oz) green beans, trimmed
  • Handful fresh coriander leaves, chopped
  • 1 lime

Instructions

Heat a wide pan and add the oil.

Oil in a deep pan

Once hot add the whole fennel seeds and red chillies (if you are using them).

Add fennel seeds and chilli to the oiled pan

Add the onions and sauté until they start to brown.

Chopped onions heating in the frying pan

Then add the garlic.

Adding garlic to the frying pan
Preparing the coconut-pork curry

Remove the fat from the pork and cut into strips.

Preparing the pork to make this coconut-pork curry
Removing the fat from the pork
Pork cut into strips ready to make the curry

Season the pork with salt and lots of black pepper and ½ tsp turmeric.

Seasoning the pork with turmeric, salt and pepper
Seasoned strips of pork in a glass bowl

Stir the tinned tomatoes, green chilli, grated ginger into the pan with the onions and stir through.

Tinned tomatoes, green chilli, grated ginger added into the pan with the onions
Mixing ingredients to make the coconut pork curry sauce

Once it starts to simmer, add the remaining turmeric, ground cumin and coriander and stir.

Turmeric, ground cumin and coriander are added to the pan

Let it reduce and thicken.

Letting the curry sauce thicken in the pan

Add the meat and stir to coat with the sauce. Reduce the heat and cook for 5-10 minutes.

Strips of pork are added to the pan
Cooking coconut-pork curry in a pan

Pour in the coconut milk and heat through.

Pouring coconut milk into the curry
Coconut pork curry cooking in a pan

Add the trimmed beans and cook for a further 5-10 minutes until the beans are cooked.

Adding trimmed beans to the curry
Cooking Keralan Pandi, a South Indian coconut-pork curry in a pan

When cooked through, check the seasoning and add the coriander leaves, and a squeeze of lime.

Enjoying this coconut-pork curry, served with rice

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 is 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 unusal 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

Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 30 minutes
Total Time: 30 minutes
Servings: 4 people
Author: Hari Ghotra
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.
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Metric – Ounces

Ingredients

  • 750 g pork loin steak or fillet room temperature
  • 2 tbsp rapeseed oil or coconut oil
  • 1 tsp fennel seeds you can leave these out
  • 2 dried red chillies you can remove these if you like your food mild
  • 2 onions finely diced
  • 5 garlic cloves minced
  • Sea salt
  • Freshly ground black pepper
  • 1 tsp ground turmeric
  • 400 g tinned tomatoes
  • 1 fresh green chilli chopped
  • 1 tbsp freshly grated ginger
  • 2 tsp cumin seeds ground or cumin powder
  • 1 tsp coriander seeds ground coriander powder
  • 200 g coconut milk low fat if you prefer
  • 100 g green beans trimmed
  • 1 handful fresh coriander leaves 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.

Nutrition

Calories: 491kcal | Carbohydrates: 21g | Protein: 46g | Fat: 25g | Saturated Fat: 17g | Cholesterol: 118mg | Sodium: 275mg | Potassium: 1302mg | Fiber: 5g | Sugar: 8g | Vitamin A: 535IU | Vitamin C: 24.5mg | Calcium: 106mg | Iron: 5.6mg
* Note: nutritional information is estimated, based on publicly available data. Nutrient values may vary from those published.
Course: Spicy mains
Keywords: curry, pork
Tried this recipe?Snap a pic and tag @amummytoo on Instagram, Twitter or Facebook. I can’t wait to see your posts!

Yum! What do you think of this warming curry?

Pin this pork curry for later

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  1. 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.

    Reply

  4. Jacque Hastert says


    This sounds like a great dinner recipe. I love all the flavors you have combined into this simple dish.

    Reply

  5. 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!

    Reply

    • 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!

      Reply

  7. 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!

    Reply

  13. 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!!

    Reply

  21. 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

    Reply

  22. 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

    Reply

  24. 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!

    Reply

  31. 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.

    Reply

  32. 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.

    Reply

  43. 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!

    Reply

  49. 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.

    Reply

  50. 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!

    Reply

  53. 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!

    Reply

    • 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.

      Reply

  64. 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!

    Reply
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