Lehsuni Pork Curry

Over the last three years, since we moved back from Australia, I have gained 30 pounds. That's almost 13 kgs. Yes, shame on me! I have not been working out because of my herniated disc and shoulder AC problem, US food is so full of empty calories and I love to eat, started a business in 2010, had a major accident in 2011, my mother passed away unexpectedly in 2012,.... Lot has happened in the span of the last three years. No, I am not giving excuses, just realizing that it is very tricky to have all the horses lined up in the same direction galloping at the same pace all the time. I just did not have the skill to manage and control my life, and it's OK. I accept it for what it is.

I did not gain 30 pounds in one day and it is ridiculous for me to expect to lose it over a span of one month, and so I am NOT going to diet to shed the pounds. I need to make lifestyle choices, add one good habit every two weeks and have a goal to maybe lose a pound or two every fortnight. I think that's reasonable. I need to be slow and steady about this one. So, I got appointments with the doctors and physical therapists as needed, and have started managing what I eat. Next, as my back and shoulder improves and the doctors give me the confidence I need, I will get back to working out, and maybe someday start running again. Very happy about all these decisions - all positive!

So, why am I writing all this in my cooking blog? Well, I just need a place to write it and make a commitment. Next, the recipes you will see come through will be pretty lean and focused on healthy choices. Also, I will take this opportunity to document my journey back to a healthy lifestyle like we had in Australia. Your encouragement will be a good moral booster for me.

We have been cooking chicken and turkey a lot these days. I have nearly convinced hubby to think of pork as a healthy substitute. I like variety, it helps me be more creative! So, this weekend we bought a big pack of pork chops from Costco. I used four large chops for this recipe and put the rest away in the freezer. And it was Monday night and I was getting late for my improv class, so I thought up a quick and easy recipe with garlic, and lots of it.

Lehsuni Pork Curry

Lehsuni Pork Curry
Pork, 4 large chops, trimmed of fat, diced to 1-inch cubes (about 2.5 lbs, I think),  wash
2 Tbsp white oil
3 Bay leaves
1 Tsp Cumin seeds
1/2 Tsp Fennel seeds
3 Large Red Chilies torn up with seeds
1 large Red Onion, sliced
1 tomato diced
1/2 inch ginger, minced
1/2 head of garlic, minced
1/2 head of garlic, smashed
1 Tbsp generic meat masala (substitute with a mixture of coriander, cumin, and garam masala powders)
Salt, to taste

1. Heat oil in a heavy bottomed pan. I used a pressure cooker since I wanted to cook this quickly.
2. When the oil is hot, add the bay leaves, cumin seeds, fennel seeds, red chilies. Let the spices flavor the oil.
3. When the spices start to brown, add the sliced red onion, minced ginger and garlic. Saute for some time till the mixture starts becoming translucent. Add the tomatoes and the spice powder. Add salt if necessary.
4. Saute the mixture for quite some time on medium to low heat. You are trying to caramelize the onions. This gives the curry a very distinct smoky sweet flavor.
5. When the oil starts to separate from the masala, add the pork, increase the heat. Quickly stir and make sure every pork piece gets seared. If the pork is fresh, that is never been frozen, it will not release any water and your job will be easier. If the the pork was previously frozen and thawed, it will release a bit of water and  you just have to be patient. During this sauteing process, you want the pork pieces seared and coated with the caramelized onion masala.
6. When Step 5 is done, get some warm water, and add to the mixture. The water should be enough to just immerse the pork.
7. Last but very important step for any Lehsuni Gosth, add the smashed pieces of garlic to the mix. No need to mix it in, just throw them on the top, then close the lid of the pressure cooker and let it do the magic!

When I made this last night, it was already 6:25PM and my improv class started at 7PM! The pressure cooker was still on when I dashed out of the house. Hubby did the rest, waited till the pressure was out and then savored the curry. I do not get regular compliments from him, I suppose he has set the bar pretty high for me. But when I got home late last night, he said - "That lehsuni gosth was great! Light and very flavorful!"

Made me very happy, but then I thought - "Hmmmm, did he really like it, or was he just making me happy because it was our anniversary was coming up?"