Grilled Indian Spiced Pork with Foraged Greens

Juicy, caramelised and crusted with burnished spices – this is an easy Indian-spiced pork loin with foraged greens, crispy fried onions and turmeric chat potatoes.

Ok, when I say easy I refer to the pork component, as everything else requires a little preparation. To be honest, the other bits I’ve mentioned don’t even need to be brought into the picture; although all of them make for one very flavoursome meal.

If you’ve ever wanted to cook a piece of pork steak to juicy perfection, there are a couple of easy steps that’ll get you there without fail.

First, you need to start with a steak that’s 2 cm thick – no more than an inch. And then you need to remember these numbers.

6 – 2 – 2

It’s the 6-2-2 method that’ll achieve the juicy result that a quality piece of pork deserves. 6 minutes over medium heat on one side, 2 minutes on the other, then let the little darling rest out of the pan for another 2 minutes.

A simple piece of pan-fried swine is perfection, in my eyes. A little salt and pepper, perhaps a smear of mustard or horseradish and I’m a happy man. For this recipe, I’ve done a bit of flavour injection by marinading the meat in a bunch of spices and yoghurt.

Aside from that, I’ve given it crunch with a simple pile of crispy fried onions.

And then come the greens I foraged. Warrigal greens, wild mustard and samphire. These have all been wilted through some sautéed onion and a few spices, turning them into a warm and mildly spiced vegetable accompaniment. To top it off, some crumbled paneer cheese; just to echo the Indian flavours of the pork.

The golden potatoes follow suit in their own way.

As a final flourish, I’ve drizzled the cooked pork with some sweet, spicy and tangy tamarind chutney. It’s a cinch to make and keeps in the fridge for a few weeks. Also, I drizzled the pork with zhoug. Something that’s Middle Eastern, not Indian; but it works an absolute treat.

All together it’s an absolute harmony of flavours.

Grab my recipe for tamarind chutney here and my recipe for zhoug here, both of which can be made a few days in advance.

Finally, if you’ve got some fresh curry leaves to spare, fry them in oil for 2 or 3 minutes until crisp. They’re the most perfect garnish and so easy to nibble on.

Indian-Spiced Pork Loin with Turmeric Potatoes and Sautéed Greens

---

5 Stars 4 Stars 3 Stars 2 Stars 1 Star

No reviews

• Author: John Bek
• Total Time: 30 minutes
• Yield: 6 servings 1x

Print Recipe

Pin Recipe

Description

Experience a feast of flavors with this impressive dish. Pork loin steaks are marinated overnight in aromatic Indian spices, then pan-fried and served alongside crispy turmeric potatoes and uniquely foraged greens.

---

Ingredients

Scale 1x2x3x

• 1 heaped teaspoon (5ml) ground cumin
• 1/2 teaspoon (2.5ml) chili flakes (or powder)
• 1/2 teaspoon (2.5ml) ground cardamom
• 1/4 heaped teaspoon (1.2ml) ground cloves
• 1 teaspoon (5ml) cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon (5ml) black pepper
• 2 dried bay leaves (finely crushed)
• 1 teaspoon (5ml) salt
• 3 teaspoons (15ml) apple cider vinegar (or lemon juice)
• 2 tablespoons (30ml) mustard oil (or olive oil)
• 1 1/2 tablespoons (22ml) honey
• 100 g (3.5 oz) greek yoghurt
• 6 x 200 g (7 oz) pork loin steaks (2 cm or 1 inch thick)
• 2 tablespoons (30ml) olive oil (for cooking)
• 3 tablespoons (44ml) butter
• 1 tablespoon (15ml) olive oil
• 1 tablespoon (15ml) brown mustard seeds
• 10 fresh curry leaves
• 1 onion (finely diced)
• 100 g (3.5 oz) samphire (trimmed if necessary)
• 400 g (14 oz) warrigal greens leaves (washed and rinsed well (or used baby spinach leaves))
• 100 g (3.5 oz) wild mustard leaves (washed and rinsed well)
• 4 tablespoons (59ml) water
• 100 g (3.5 oz) paneer (crumbled (or use firm feta cheese))
• salt and freshly milled black pepper (to taste)
• 3-4 large brown onions
• 1 liter (34 fl oz) vegetable oil (for frying)
• sea salt flakes
• cumin seeds (to garnish)
• 18 chats (baby potatoes – 3 per person)
• 3 tablespoons (44ml) mustard oil (or olive oil)
• salt and pepper (to taste)
• turmeric powder

---

Instructions

1. Pork
2. Combine all ingredients for the marinade (except pork and 2 tablespoons olive oil) and stir well. Lay the pork loin steaks into a flat, non-corrosive dish and smear on all sides with the marinade. Alternatively, put the pork into a plastic bag, add the marinade, and give it a good massage.
3. Allow the pork to marinate overnight.
4. Scrape off any excess marinade before cooking the following day. Too much will make it burn.
5. To cook the pork, heat a pan over medium heat. Add the 2 tablespoons olive oil, swirl it around, and lay the pork steaks even over the pan. You may need to do this in two pans, or in batches.
6. Cook the pork for 6 minutes, without turning. Turn the pork over and cook the other side for 2 minutes. Remove the pork from the pan and allow it to rest on a plate or board for a further 2 minutes, after which it will be perfectly juicy. Serve immediately.
7. Greens
8. Heat a large saucepan over medium-high, toss in the butter and oil, and allow it to melt. Scatter in the mustard seeds and curry leaves (they will pop and crackle!) and stir with a wooden spoon for about 1 minute.
9. Add the onion and sauté for about 5 minutes, or until opaque. Add the samphire to the onions and quickly stir to incorporate, then add the warrigal greens and mustard leaves (or baby spinach and wild mustard leaves).
10. Stir constantly so the leaves wilt from the heat. After about 10-20 seconds, add the water and keep mixing it around, then crumble in the paneer or firm feta cheese. Turn off the heat and season to taste.
11. You can serve it immediately or at room temperature, if you like.
12. Fried Onions
13. Peel the onions, cut them in half, and slice them thinly. Break up each slice so that they fry easier.
14. Put the oil into a large saucepan over medium heat. Simply fry the sliced onion in the oil, in batches, until nicely browned and slightly golden. Don’t add too many as the oil may bubble over. Scoop the onions out and drain on paper towels. Season with the salt and cumin seeds while still hot. Allow to cool completely before using.
15. Potatoes
16. Boil the baby potatoes until just cooked. Drain and press them down slightly, to flatten.
17. Preheat the oven to 230°C (450°F).
18. Line a baking tray with baking paper, top with the oil, and put it into the oven for 10 minutes.
19. Arrange the potatoes on the hot pan, turn over to coat the other side in oil, then season with salt, pepper, and turmeric. Bake for 15-20 minutes, or until golden and crispy around the edges.
20. Serve immediately, scattered with a little more turmeric, if you like.

• Prep Time: 15 minutes
• Cook Time: 15 minutes
• Category: Main Course
• Cuisine: Indian

If You Liked This Recipe, You’ll Love These

• Tortilla Española with Red Pepper Sauce
• Veggie Filled Quinoa Bowl
• Balsamic Glazed Chicken and Bacon Skewers