Spicy Kerala-Style Pork Pepper Fry with Crispy Roasted Baby Murasaki Sweet Potatoes

My desire to use up curry leaves and make Japanese sweet potatoes gave birth to this dish.

I love Indian cuisine, and I have several recipes that call for curry leaves, usually 15-20 leaves. That’s about one sprig. However, when you buy them they come in a package of about 15 sprigs. Luckily, they last a few weeks. I was using them in some recipes from one of my favorite sites, GlebeKitchen.com.

While shopping at my local Sprouts Farmers Market, I spotted Baby Muraski Sweet Potatoes. Since I always like to try new things, and had never eaten or cooked these, they went to the top of the list.

Pork Pepper Fry is a classic dish from South India, especially the state of Kerala, where black pepper has been prized for centuries and earned the region the nickname “The Land of Black Pepper.” Unlike many Indian curries, this is a dry preparation rather than a saucy one. Pork is slowly cooked with onions, ginger, garlic, aromatic spices, and plenty of fresh curry leaves, then finished over higher heat until the spices cling to the meat.

The result is bold and comforting, with layers of earthy spices, fragrant curry leaves, and a peppery heat that builds with each bite. The pork becomes meltingly tender. Served with roasted Japanese sweet potatoes, whose creamy interiors and crisp, browned exteriors balance the rich, spicy pork. It makes for a deeply satisfying meal. The natural sugar in the potatoes caramelize, making them feel and taste like they were candied, but no sugar or sweetener of any kind was added.

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Spicy Kerala-Style Pork Pepper Fry

This spicy Kerala-style Pork Pepper Fry features tender pork shoulder slowly cooked with onions, ginger, garlic, curry leaves, black pepper, and warm South Indian spices. The pork is finished uncovered until the sauce reduces and the spices form a deeply flavorful, caramelized coating. Bold, peppery, spicy, and aromatic, with tender pork and crisp, browned edges.

Prep Time20 minutes mins

Cook Time1 hour hr 30 minutes mins

Marinating1 hour hr

Course: Main Course, Side Dish

Cuisine: Indian

Servings: 4 servings

Author: Kevin Godbee

Ingredients

Pork

• 2 pounds pork shoulder cut into 1½-inch cubes
• 1½ teaspoons kosher salt
• 1 teaspoon turmeric
• 2 teaspoons freshly ground black pepper
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice

Spice Paste

• 2 tablespoons coriander seeds
• 2 teaspoons black peppercorns
• 1½ teaspoons fennel seeds
• 1 teaspoon cumin seeds
• 6 to 8 dried red chiles Kashmiri for color, plus 2-3 hotter chiles for heat
• 1 inch cinnamon stick
• 4 cloves
• 4 green cardamom pods
• 6 garlic cloves
• 1½ inch piece fresh ginger
• 1 splash water for spice paste

Pork Fry

• 2 tablespoons coconut oil or neutral oil
• 2 cups sliced onions or shallots
• 2 green chiles sliced
• 1 sprig curry leaves about 15 leaves
• ½ cup water
• 15 to 20 curry leaves additional

To Finish

• 1 teaspoon freshly cracked black pepper
• Squeeze of lime
• A handful of fresh curry leaves fried briefly in coconut oil
• Coconut oil for frying the curry leaves

Instructions

• Marinate the pork: Toss the pork cubes with the kosher salt, turmeric, black pepper, and lemon juice. Marinate for 60 minutes or longer.
• Make the spice paste: Toast the coriander seeds, black peppercorns, fennel seeds, cumin seeds, dried red chiles, cinnamon stick, cloves, and cardamom pods briefly in a dry pan until fragrant, then grind. Add the garlic and ginger along with a splash of water and grind into a paste.
  
• Fry the spice paste: Add the spice paste and fry 2-3 minutes until fragrant.
• Add the pork: Add the marinated pork and stir well to coat.
• Simmer: Add the water and the additional curry leaves. Cover and simmer about 60-90 minutes until the pork is tender.
• Roast down: Remove the lid and cook until the liquid evaporates and the pork becomes dark, glossy, and almost roasted.
• Finish: Stir in the freshly cracked black pepper and a squeeze of lime. Top with the handful of fresh curry leaves, fried briefly in coconut oil. The dish should be dry enough to cling to the pork, not a curry with sauce.

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Crispy Baby Murasaki Sweet Potato Roast

Roasted baby Murasaki sweet potatoes with warm spices and a mustard seed-curry leaf tempering.

Prep Time10 minutes mins

Cook Time35 minutes mins

Total Time45 minutes mins

Course: Side Dish

Cuisine: Indian

Keyword: curry leaves, mustard seeds, roasted vegetables, sweet potato

Servings: 4

Author: Kevin Godbee

Equipment

• Sheet pan

Ingredients

Roast

• 1½ lb baby Murasaki sweet potatoes
• 2 tbsp coconut oil or avocado oil
• 1 tsp cumin seeds
• 1 tsp coriander powder
• ¾ tsp Kashmiri chile powder
• ½ tsp turmeric
• salt

Instructions

• Heat oven to 425°F.
• Scrub potatoes well. Dry and halve lengthwise.
• Toss with: 2 tbsp coconut oil or avocado oil, 1 tsp cumin seeds, 1 tsp coriander powder, ¾ tsp Kashmiri chile powder, ½ tsp turmeric, salt
• Arrange cut side down on a sheet pan.
• Roast 30–40 minutes until: cut side is deeply browned, centers are creamy