Pork fat and skin cut into pieces and fried until completely crispy and golden — a Khasi snack eaten at celebrations alongside rice beer. The rendered fat makes the skin crackling-crispy while the meat inside remains tender.
Ingredients
400 g pork skin with fat attached (buy pork belly with skin; ask butcher for pork rind)
1/2 tsp turmeric
salt to taste
1 tsp black pepper
fresh green chilli and spring onion for serving alongside
Method
Score the pork skin: Using a very sharp knife, score the pork skin in a cross-hatch pattern — cuts about 1 cm apart and 5 mm deep. Do not cut all the way through to the meat. Scoring helps the fat render and the skin crisp evenly.
Cut into pieces: Cut the scored pork belly into pieces about 5 cm x 5 cm.
Season: Rub the pieces with turmeric, salt and black pepper — coating both the skin side and the meat side.
Place in a cold pan and heat slowly: Place the pork pieces skin-side down in a heavy pan — no oil needed. Start on low heat. The fat will begin rendering slowly as the pan heats.
Render fat slowly on low heat: Cook on low heat for 15 minutes without touching the pork. The fat will melt out, the skin will begin to contract and the pan will fill with rendered pork fat.
Increase heat to medium: After 15 minutes of slow rendering, increase to medium heat. The pork skin will begin to sizzle more actively in its own rendered fat.
Baste and cook: Spoon the rendered fat from the pan over the top of the pork pieces every few minutes. This basting ensures even cooking.
Flip carefully: After the skin side is deeply golden — about 10 minutes on medium heat — flip each piece. Cook the meat side for 5 minutes.
Crisp the skin finally: Flip back to skin side. Increase to medium-high for 3 to 4 minutes until the skin is very crispy and deep golden, almost caramel coloured.
Drain and serve: Remove with a slotted spoon. Drain on paper towels. Serve hot with fresh green chilli and spring onion alongside.
Note: Kapa is the crispy pork preparation specific to Khasi celebrations — made when pigs are slaughtered for festivals and feasts. The technique of slowly rendering the fat before crisping is what produces the characteristic texture: completely crispy crackling skin over tender fat over soft meat. Served as a snack at community gatherings alongside Meghalayan rice beer (kyiad). Every part of the pig is used in Khasi culture — kapa represents the fat and skin portion.