September 3rd marks the festival of Kail Podh*, in Coorg. The month long period of Kakkada, marking the heaviest of the monsoon rains, ends on the 15th August, and by the first week of September, the laborious task of transplanting paddy for the next rice crop has been done. Then, with more blue skies and less pounding rain, the scene is set for some well earned revelry.
After a ceremony which involves cleaning and blessing all the agricultural implements used by the household, as well as all the weapons, families sit down to a feast, the chief item on the menu being pandi (pork) curry, and kadambuttu. This was traditionally the time when hunting for sport, and for the pot, resumed. Given the dwindling wildlife population, this is no longer an option, and quite rightly so.
I have neither tilled nor transplanted a rice field, and the only weapons and agricultural accessories in my home here in Vancouver are kitchen knives – one particularly lethal in its bluntness. And some cow bells. Hmm. But, I can most definitely hunt me some pork for the pot!
Tipped off by experienced guides, I track my way to the stretch of wilderness known as East Hastings. The Heights, to be precise. Here, at the family run Italian deli, Cioffis, is where I bag the prize- a hefty chunk of pork shoulder. Cioffi’s is one of Vancouver’s treasures, and one of the best sources for quality cuts of meat. Their ever helpful staff are always on hand to offer advice and recommendations.
Since I was out of town on this Labour Day long weekend, we celebrated with a Kail Podh lunch earlier. Here’s a look at the run up to it!
Coming soon, Pandi Curry…
Happy Kail Podh!
* For an excellent introduction to the celebration of Kail Podh, read more in this informative article by Arati Monappa.
Look at the lovely smile on the man’s face as he hands over the bag:-0. Trust you Shalini to” hunt” down the best pork supply . Now my questions, but since you are always happy to answer, here goes . Is the shoulder the best part to make Pandi from . In Bangalore I get it at Bamburies , and they have just as happy a smile . I say one Kilo , then add ok one and a half and finally say just make it two . I start of with a small amount because am relatively new to coking Pork. Thankfully one misconception which got cleared really fast was that many people had me thinking it is not a very healthy meat because of all the fat. So one can put in as much or as little and then the pork cooked in the Coorg style requires virtually no oil. It is in fact a much healthier option compared to mutton or chicken I have been told , please tell me this is true ! So as I was picking up my loot the gentleman waiting next to me asks , ” what is all the white stuff ” ? “The fat” The nice couple at and I chorused happily. The kachampulli fruit has excellent cholesterol lowering properties , what genius the pandi curry is. I love how the plate ( and how gorgeous it is) shows only the gorgeous white kadambuttus no pandi curry yet 🙂 Loved reading Arati Monapa’s article . Thanks Shalini , this one has been such a wonderful curtain raiser to the actual cooking . Your passion for the most perfect cooking ,makes this blog a treasure … shopping for the finest ingredients and writing about it. Then going to the actual
cooking.
<> You are too kind, Jyoti!
Cioffis is brilliant- and the staff are so helpful.They really take pride in what they offer, and it shows.
The kind of pork typically available in India is quite different, and sold with the skin and a healthy layer of fat so you don’t necessarily need the belly portion.
I could buy something like that from a shop that caters to the Chinese market, which is huge here, but I prefer to shop at Cioffis.If I don’t order in advance, it takes a bit of juggling to get what I need for a “curry” cut. To keep it simple, I say the mix of shoulder and belly is a safe bet, though I have other equations which get a little complicated for beginners- I will get to them eventually 🙂 Here, I’ve used a mix of shoulder, with extra fat and rind added separately.
Both Bamburie and The Ham Shop on MG Rd know from years of dealing with these requests, exactly what to hand you when you ask for pork for pandi curry-you just have to specify if you want bone in and how much fat you’d like! You’re right, the traditional way of making pandi curry uses no oil. It’s those new fangled notions of cutting back on fat that caused that to sneak in! And of course the fat is good- it will not be denied! Look at how poor old coconut oil has come roaring back, after it was given the brush off, being replaced by vile vanaspati, relentlessly marketed as a “healthy” alternative. Everything in moderation, though, especially moderation.;-)