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Gahori aru Matimah

Pork slow-cooked with roasted black gram until the dal turns thick and creamy with pork fat. A hearty, earthy dish from Assamese home kitchens.

Ingredients

• 500 g pork with fat, cut into 1 inch cubes
• 1 cup black gram (mati mah), with skin, washed
• 2 medium onions, sliced
• 1 tbsp ginger paste
• 1 tbsp garlic paste
• 1 tsp turmeric powder
• 1 tsp cumin powder
• 4 green chillies, slit
• 2 bay leaves
• 1 tbsp mustard oil
• salt to taste

Method

1. Dry-roast the mati mah in a kadai on low heat for 6 to 8 minutes until it turns a shade darker and smells nutty. Wash and soak in warm water for 30 minutes.
2. Pressure cook the soaked mati mah with 3 cups of water and a pinch of turmeric for 4 whistles until soft but not mushy.
3. Meanwhile, cook the pork in a heavy pan with the mustard oil and a pinch of salt on medium heat for 15 minutes until the fat renders.
4. Add bay leaves and onions and fry for 5 minutes in the pork fat until soft.
5. Add ginger, garlic, turmeric and cumin powder and fry for 3 minutes.
6. Add 1 cup of water, cover and cook for 25 minutes until the pork is tender.
7. Pour in the cooked mati mah with its water, add green chillies and salt, and simmer for 10 to 15 minutes, stirring, until thick and creamy.
8. Mash a little dal against the side of the pan for body and serve hot with rice.

Tip: Roasting the mati mah first is what gives this dish its nutty, smoky depth; do not skip it. Fatty pork is essential, lean meat leaves the dal dry.