Mandeda Pratiksha Muthappa, a young graduate of Mount Carmel College has a wide range of interests, including dancing, yoga, aerobics, athletics, horse-riding, painting, and choir singing. With her flowing tresses, she adds modelling to the list, appearing in advertisements for hair tonic. 

Pratiksha is also passionate about cooking, and shares her favourite recipe, the Coorg classic, pandi curry. Says Pratiksha: “I learnt the recipe of pandi curry from my mother, Beena, who has always been a pillar of support and inspiration. Not to forget my father, who taught me how to cook various dishes he has learnt over the years.”

 Pandi Curry Recipe

“Pandi Curry” or pork curry is a traditional dish in Coorg cuisine. This dish is specially cooked with freshly ground masala and uses a distinct sour ingredient called “kachumpuli”, an extract of a fruit grown locally. This gives a unique taste and colour to this dish. Pandi curry is popularly accompanied with “akki otti” (rice roti), “kadumputtu” (rice balls) and can also be eaten with other rice preparations.

INGREDIENTS:

• Pork – 1 kg
• Kachumpulli (or tamarind taste) – according to quantity of pork and taste
• Coriander – for garnish
• Curry leaves – for garnish
• Lime – for garnish
• Salt – to taste

For wet masala:

• Sambar onions – 250 grams
• Garlic – 150 grams
• Ginger – 50 grams
• Coriander leaves – 1/2 bunch
• Green chillies – 4 to 5
• Cumin seeds – 1 teaspoon
• Water – 1/2 cup

For dry masala:

• Coriander seeds – 6 teaspoons
• Cumin seeds – 5 teaspoons
• Pepper corns – 2 teaspoons
• Cloves – 5 to 6
• Cinammon – 1 piece
• Elaichi (cardamom) – 3 to 4
• Mustard seeds – 1 teaspoon
• Methi (fenugreek) seeds – 1/2 teaspoon
• Curry leaves – 1 sprig

METHOD:

• Wash the pork and keep aside.
• Grind all the wet masala ingredients with 1/2 cup of water to form a fine paste and keep aside.
• Roast the dry masala ingredients till brown and grind it to fine powder.
• Put in the wet masala in a vessel and cook for a while, till a nice aroma comes.
• Add pork pieces along with the ground dry masala powder, mix well and allow to cook for 5 minutes. Add salt according to taste.
• Add 2-3 cups of water and cook till the meat is well done.
• Finally, 3 teaspoons of kachumpulli (or tamarind paste), cover and cook for 5-10 minutes.
• Sprinkle with finely chopped coriander and curry leaves. Serve with lime.