Disclaimer: I got this Smoked Pork Dry Fry recipe from a friend who is Nagamese, and the basic recipe is the same, I made a couple of very small additions, which are optional. This recipe doesn’t need much, and that’s the beauty of it.
How to Make Smoked Pork Dry Fry
Start by washing and then cutting 250 gram. smoked pork into small chunks. I prefer 1″ cubes, and mine had some smoked ribs in there, which I mostly lay intact. After cutting, put them in a cold, nonstick pan, and cover with a lid. Turn on the heat and let it heat up naturally, slowly, till the pork starts rendering its fat. This rendering process is crucial and you will need to be patient. Turn the pork over after the first ten minutes, and let the fat get rendered more. Fat is your best friend, fat is flavor.
Now, if you are a smart person like me, at this point you start cooking your rice. I generally go with a fragrant rice like Gobindobhog, Joha, or Jasmine rice, but, if you don’t have it, just make it. The fat just is perfect with steamed rice. Mix them together and eat with your hand, a big chunk of cucumber on the side, and you will realize why I love this smoked pork dry fry recipe so much.
Meanwhile, make a paste of 3-4 large chillies, or 1/3rd of a smoked or fresh bhoot jolokia (I have used both, and they taste awesome), 1 small tomato (about 50 gram), about 50 gram onion (1/2 an onion), and 1-2 cloves of garlic (2-3 gram), the last one is optional, with some salt and lemon juice. It will be ideal if you pound it in a mortar and pestle, but a mixer works fine. You should ideally add 1-2 tablespoons of water to ensure the mixture is runny.
Once the pork renders a good deal of fat and is considerably darker, pour in the paste, and start cooking over medium-low heat, stirring every 1-2 minutes, for the next 10-15 minutes.
All you have to do is ensure that the meat doesn’t turn too dark and the paste doesn’t burn. Here, you can keep the color of the pork as red or as dark as you want. I like mine dark, but many prefer keeping it red and beautiful.
After the smoked pork is cooked down to your liking (colourwise), add 1/2 inch fresh ginger, grated, adjust salt (use either salt or fish sauce, both works wonderfully), and I added (this one is a really good addition) 1 teaspoon of Chef Joel Basumatari’s Naga Smoked Local Chilli Sauce (which I purchased from NE ORIGINS here), which really took this to another level, and is an excellent addition to your kitchen. Cover and let the ginger infuse for 5-6 minutes.
Then, once the Smoked Pork Dry Fry is ready, get yourself a big plate of rice, add some boiled or fresh veg to your plate, and then proceed to eat your meat with the rice, sweat it out, and eat some more. Or, eat this on its own, but be prepared to lick the bowl (like a certain someone did a few days ago).
