Pork and Gōya Keema, made with SN1

A keema curry in which the savoury depth of pork wraps around the bitterness of gōya (bitter melon) and the refined scent of green cardamom.

SPICE CURRY SPICE PACK (Spice Curry Spice Pack Symphony No.1 / SN1) — a pork and gōya keema.

Ingredients (serves 4)

• SN1 / starter spices (the whole-spice sachet): 1 sachet
• SN1 / powder spices (the ground-spice sachet): 1 sachet
• Tomato purée: 150–200g (about one shop-bought pack)
• Onion: 1
• Gōya (bitter melon): as much as you like
• Garlic: 10g grated (about 1–2 cloves)
• Ginger: 20g grated
• Pork mince: 400g
• Sugar: 1 tbsp
• Salt: 1 tsp
• Soy sauce: 2 tsp
• Butter: 10g
• Mirin (sweet rice seasoning): 1 tsp
• Grated hard cheese: 3g (Grana Padano recommended; Parmesan works too)
• Vegetable oil: 3 tbsp (use whichever oil you like)
• Fresh basil leaves: as needed

If you cannot get basil, leave it out or use a herb you like. Parsley, mint and ōba (shiso leaf) all work well in this recipe.

Preparation

• Work the grated cheese, some black pepper (not in the list above) and a little of the SN1 powder spices into the pork mince.
• Chop the onion and the gōya finely.
  
  

Method

1. Pour the vegetable oil into a pan, add the “starter spices (the whole-spice sachet)”, then turn on a low heat.
   
   
2. When the mustard seeds start to crackle, add the grated “garlic and ginger” and stir them through the spices. Keep stirring for about 30 seconds.
   
   
3. Add the “onion”, stir it in, then turn the heat to medium and cook until deep golden brown.
   
   

   If it looks as though it might catch, add a splash of water and keep cooking gently. (The point is to mind the spices rather than the onion — it matters more that the spices do not burn.)

4. Once the onion is deep golden brown, turn the heat down low, add the pork mince and the salt, then raise it to a fairly high medium heat and cook until it takes on a good colour.
   
   
5. Add the gōya, fry it briefly with everything else, then add all of the “powder spices” and stir them in, thinking of it as cooking the powder spices themselves.
   
   
6. Turn the heat to low, add the tomato purée, sugar: 1 tbsp, soy sauce: 2 tsp, butter and mirin: 1 tsp, and let it come to a gentle bubble.
   
   
7. Adjust the salt, spoon it onto plates, scatter over the basil and it is done.

Inspice spice curry spice sets contain none of the usual sources of heat — chilli, cayenne pepper or chilli powder — so please add heat to your own taste.