Authentic Coastal Pork Recipe Of

Mangalorean Pork Bafat

This pork recipe is from the Southeastern part of the country, and remains one of the defining dishes of Mangalorean cuisine. This spicy pork recipe might remind you of the Goan sorpotel, which is not much of a surprise, as they are cousins and originated in the same Catholic cooking schools. But unlike its cousin, this pork dish derives its colour and spiciness from bafat powder, hence the name of the dish, a dry ground masala mix made from dried red chillies, coriander, cumin, mustard, black pepper, turmeric, cinnamon and cloves. Mangalorean Catholic cuisine developed from the migration of Goan Catholic families into the South Canara region (southwestern Karnataka coastal region), and is said to blend Portuguese influences with South Indian cooking, which overlaps with Goan cooking while remaining distinct. The chilli pepper (in the bafat masala) was not inherent to coastal cooking, and many attribute its introduction to the Portuguese spice trade of the sixteenth century, which led the colonisers to settle in the country. This pork recipe is usually reserved for celebrations like weddings, Christmas lunches, baptisms and community gatherings, which almost always feature a large pot of it, which turns it into a slow-cooked dish with the pork falling off the bone tender, all the while retaining its shape. As for the cooking technique, the onions and garlic are added in two batches, which makes this pork dish quite special, and they don’t disintegrate into the curry either.