Pork cooked with fried shallots in the Meitei style — caramelised shallots and pork fat creating a sweet-savoury everyday preparation distinct from the boiled preparations.
Ingredients
500g pork — shoulder or belly, thinly sliced
200g shallots (small red onions) — peeled and sliced
4 garlic cloves — thinly sliced
1 tsp ginger — sliced into matchsticks
2 green chillies — slit
1/2 tsp turmeric
1 tsp black pepper
1 tbsp oil
Salt to taste
Fresh spring onion to garnish
Method
Heat 1 tbsp oil in a wide pan on medium heat.
Add sliced shallots. Cook on medium heat for 10 to 12 minutes, stirring regularly, until the shallots are deeply golden-brown and caramelised.
Do not rush — the caramelised shallots are the foundation of this preparation.
Add sliced garlic and ginger matchsticks. Cook 2 minutes.
Increase to medium-high. Add the pork slices in a single layer if possible.
Fry 3 minutes without stirring to develop colour. Toss.
Add slit green chillies, turmeric and black pepper. Toss well.
Cook on medium-high heat for 8 to 10 minutes, tossing regularly, until pork is cooked through and the caramelised shallots coat each piece.
This is a fairly dry preparation — the moisture from the pork evaporates completely.
Season with salt. Garnish with spring onion. Serve with steamed rice.