Indian spiced pork with mustard seed red cabbage

Cabbage takes on a delicate sweetness when cooked slowly and needs little more than a few herbs and spices to make for an amazing side dish. Topped with spice-rubbed pork and a zingy tomato salad, this is healthy Indian food without the oil and heart burn. If you don’t like pork on the bone, use pork leg steaks and adjust the cooking time to suit.

• serves

  2

• prep

  20 minutes

• cook

  20 minutes

• difficulty

  Easy

Ingredients

• 2 pork cutlets, trimmed
• 1½ tsp garam masala, extra pinch (see Note)
• ⅓ cup coriander leaves, roots and stems finely chopped
• 80 ml (⅓ cup) natural yoghurt
• 1½ tbsp finely grated ginger
• 2 tomatoes, cut into wedges
• 1 small white onion, finely sliced
• 2 tbsp lemon juice
• salt and pepper 
• 1½ tbsp vegetable oil
• 3 tsp yellow mustard seeds
• 2 tsp cumin seeds
• 200 g red cabbage, shredded

Instructions

Combine the pork, garam masala, half the coriander stems and roots and half each of the yoghurt and ginger. Season to taste, mix well and set aside. 

Combine the tomato, one quarter of the onion, 1 tablespoon of lemon juice and a pinch of garam masala and salt. Mix gently to combine and set aside. 

Heat half the oil in a medium-size saucepan over medium-high heat. Add the mustard seeds and cumin seeds and cook for 30 seconds until the mustard seeds begin to pop. Add the remaining ginger, onion and a pinch of salt, and cook, stirring, for 2 minutes. Add the cabbage and 2 tablespoons water, stir to combine then cover and cook for 13–15 minutes until tender. Add the remaining coriander, remaining yoghurt and lemon juice, and mix through. Remove from the heat, cover and keep warm. 

Heat the remaining oil in a small frypan over medium-high heat. Add the pork and cook for 3–4 minutes on each side until just cooked through.

Note

• Garam masala is a curry powder blend available in most supermarkets, Indian food stores and from quality spice merchants.

Photography by Benito Martin. Styling by Lynsey Fryers. Food preparation by Suresh Watson.

Cook's Notes

Oven temperatures are for conventional; if using fan-forced (convection), reduce the temperature by 20˚C. | We use Australian tablespoons and cups: 1 teaspoon equals 5 ml; 1 tablespoon equals 20 ml; 1 cup equals 250 ml. | All herbs are fresh (unless specified) and cups are lightly packed. | All vegetables are medium size and peeled, unless specified. | All eggs are 55-60 g, unless specified.