Pork cooked with hawai jaang (fermented soybean) in the Meitei style — a pungent, deeply savoury combination of pork fat and fermented soybean eaten with steamed rice.
Ingredients
500g pork — belly or shoulder, cut into 3 cm pieces
3 tbsp hawai jaang (Manipuri fermented soybean)
1 inch ginger — sliced
4 garlic cloves — crushed
2 green chillies — whole
1/4 tsp turmeric
1/2 tsp black pepper
1.5 cups water
Salt to taste only if needed
Method
Place pork pieces in a heavy pot. Add water, ginger, garlic, turmeric, black pepper and whole green chillies. Bring to a boil. Skim foam.
Reduce to medium heat. Cook 25 to 30 minutes until pork is fairly tender.
Add the hawai jaang (fermented soybean). Stir to combine with the pork and broth.
Continue cooking on medium heat for 10 to 12 minutes.
The hawai jaang dissolves partially into the broth, seasoning it with its deep umami character while some whole soybeans remain.
In the last 5 minutes remove lid to reduce broth slightly.
Taste before adding salt — hawai jaang is very salty.