Recipes, re-invented from cooking shows
Aloo Dum & Pork Belly, Dal
Prep. Time:
Baking Time:
Total Time:
40 minutes
2 hours
2 hours 45 minutes
Serves:
4 servings (family style)
Rosdip created this dish for MasterChef UK ™ Series 22. A four-part plate drawn from his Nepalese heritage pairs spiced nigella-seed aloo dum and cumin-scented carrot pilau with timur-peppered, slow-braised pork belly and a creamy black-eyed bean dal perfumed with jimbu. Anna Haugh praised the pork'...
Read more
Ingredients
FOR THE TIMUR PORK BELLY
2 tsp timur (or Sichuan) peppercorns, toasted then ground (reserve half for the glaze)
600 g (1.3 lb) pork belly, skin off, cut into 1.5-inch cubes
1½ tsp ground cumin
1½ tsp ground coriander
½ tsp turmeric
1 tsp red chilli powder, to taste
4 garlic cloves, grated
1 tbsp (15 g) ginger, grated
1 tsp salt, plus more to taste
2 tbsp (30 ml) vegetable oil
2 tsp honey or jaggery, for the sticky glaze
FOR THE ALOO DUM
3 tbsp (45 ml) vegetable oil
1 tsp nigella seeds (kalonji), whole
1 tsp cumin seeds, whole
1 medium onion, finely chopped
3 garlic cloves, grated
1 tbsp (15 g) ginger, grated
½ tsp turmeric
1 tsp ground coriander
½ tsp red chilli powder, to taste
2 large ripe tomatoes, blended (or 200 g passata)
500 g (1.1 lb) waxy potatoes, peeled, cut into 1-inch cubes and parboiled
Salt, to taste
Small handful fresh coriander, chopped, to finish
FOR THE CARROT PILAU RICE
200 g (1 cup) basmati rice, rinsed and soaked 20 minutes
1½ tbsp (20 g) ghee or oil
1 tsp cumin seeds,
1 bay leaf
1 large carrot, finely diced
½ tsp ground coriander
420 ml (1¾ cups) water or light stock
¾ tsp salt
FOR THE JIMBU DAL
180 g (1 cup) dried black-eyed beans, soaked overnight (or tinned)
½ tsp turmeric
Salt, to taste
2 tbsp (30 ml) ghee or oil
½ tsp cumin seeds, for the tempering
3 garlic cloves, sliced
1 dried red chilli, optional
1½ tsp jimbu (dried Himalayan herb)
EQUIPMENT
Heavy-based saucepan or kadai (for the aloo dum)
Large lidded pan or casserole (for braising the pork belly)
Medium saucepan with a tight lid (for the pilau)
Small pan or tadka ladle (for tempering the dal)
Pestle and mortar or spice grinder (for the timur)
Fine grater or microplane (garlic and ginger)
Heavy frying pan (for the final glaze on the pork)
Method
STEP 1: SPICE AND BRAISE THE PORK BELLY
Toast the timur peppercorns in a dry pan for a minute until fragrant, then grind and reserve half for the finish. Rub the pork belly cubes with half the ground timur, the cumin, coriander, turmeric, chilli, garlic, ginger and salt. Heat the oil in a lidded pan and brown the pork well on all sides. Add a splash of water, cover, and braise gently for 1 to 1½ hours, topping up with a little water as needed, until the meat is soft and yielding.
STEP 2: GLAZE THE PORK FOR THE STICKY FINISH
Once the pork is tender and most of the liquid has reduced to a thick coating, raise the heat. Stir in the honey or jaggery and the reserved ground timur, and let the cubes catch and caramelise, turning them so they brown on every face into a glossy, sticky lacquer. Keep warm.
STEP 3: MAKE THE ALOO DUM
Heat the oil in a heavy pan and crackle the nigella and cumin seeds for 30 seconds. Add the onion and cook to golden, then the garlic and ginger for a minute more. Stir in the turmeric, ground coriander and chilli, then the blended tomato. Cook this masala down for 8–10 minutes, stirring, until it darkens and the oil separates. Fold in the parboiled potatoes, season, add a splash of water, cover and simmer 10–15 minutes until tender and coated in a thick, clinging sauce. Finish with fresh coriander.
STEP 4: COOK THE CARROT PILAU
Drain the soaked rice. Heat the ghee in a saucepan and crackle the cumin seeds with the bay leaf. Add the diced carrot and ground coriander and cook 2–3 minutes. Stir in the drained rice to coat, add the water or stock and salt, bring to the boil, then cover tightly and cook on the lowest heat for 11–12 minutes. Rest off the heat, lid on, for 5 minutes, then fork through gently.
STEP 5: BUILD THE JIMBU DAL
If using soaked dried black-eyed beans, simmer them with the turmeric and a little salt for 30–40 minutes until creamy but intact (tinned beans need only warming through). Loosen with water to a soft, spoonable dal. For the tempering, heat the ghee in a small pan and add the cumin seeds, sliced garlic, dried chilli and the jimbu, frying just until the jimbu releases its aroma — seconds, not minutes, as it scorches fast. Pour the sizzling temper over the dal and stir through.
STEP 6: PLATE
Spoon the carrot pilau onto the plate and top with the aloo dum. Set the glazed timur pork belly alongside, and serve the jimbu dal in its own pool or small bowl. Finish with a pinch of fresh coriander.
What next?
Tell us what you'd like and we'll send what you pick.
Video walkthrough
Simpler recipe version
Printable recipe
Weekly recipe digest
Instructions
FOR THE TIMUR PORK BELLY
2 tsp timur (or Sichuan) peppercorns, toasted then ground (reserve half for the glaze)
600 g (1.3 lb) pork belly, skin off, cut into 1.5-inch cubes
1½ tsp ground cumin
1½ tsp ground coriander
½ tsp turmeric
1 tsp red chilli powder, to taste
4 garlic cloves, grated
1 tbsp (15 g) ginger, grated
1 tsp salt, plus more to taste
2 tbsp (30 ml) vegetable oil
2 tsp honey or jaggery, for the sticky glaze
FOR THE ALOO DUM
3 tbsp (45 ml) vegetable oil
1 tsp nigella seeds (kalonji), whole
1 tsp cumin seeds, whole
1 medium onion, finely chopped
3 garlic cloves, grated
1 tbsp (15 g) ginger, grated
½ tsp turmeric
1 tsp ground coriander
½ tsp red chilli powder, to taste
2 large ripe tomatoes, blended (or 200 g passata)
500 g (1.1 lb) waxy potatoes, peeled, cut into 1-inch cubes and parboiled
Salt, to taste
Small handful fresh coriander, chopped, to finish
FOR THE CARROT PILAU RICE
200 g (1 cup) basmati rice, rinsed and soaked 20 minutes
1½ tbsp (20 g) ghee or oil
1 tsp cumin seeds
1 bay leaf
1 large carrot, finely diced
½ tsp ground coriander
420 ml (1¾ cups) water or light stock
¾ tsp salt
FOR THE JIMBU DAL
180 g (1 cup) dried black-eyed beans, soaked overnight (or tinned)
½ tsp turmeric
Salt, to taste
2 tbsp (30 ml) ghee or oil
½ tsp cumin seeds, for the tempering
3 garlic cloves, sliced
1 dried red chilli, optional
1½ tsp jimbu (dried Himalayan herb)
EQUIPMENT
Heavy-based saucepan or kadai (for the aloo dum)
Large lidded pan or casserole (for braising the pork belly)
Medium saucepan with a tight lid (for the pilau)
Small pan or tadka ladle (for tempering the dal)
Pestle and mortar or spice grinder (for the timur)
Fine grater or microplane (garlic and ginger)
Heavy frying pan (for the final glaze on the pork)
Heading 5
Ingredients
STEP 1: SPICE AND BRAISE THE PORK BELLY
Toast the timur peppercorns in a dry pan for a minute until fragrant, then grind and reserve half for the finish. Rub the pork belly cubes with half the ground timur, the cumin, coriander, turmeric, chilli, garlic, ginger and salt. Heat the oil in a lidded pan and brown the pork well on all sides. Add a splash of water, cover, and braise gently for 1 to 1½ hours, topping up with a little water as needed, until the meat is soft and yielding.
STEP 2: GLAZE THE PORK FOR THE STICKY FINISH
Once the pork is tender and most of the liquid has reduced to a thick coating, raise the heat. Stir in the honey or jaggery and the reserved ground timur, and let the cubes catch and caramelise, turning them so they brown on every face into a glossy, sticky lacquer. Keep warm.
STEP 3: MAKE THE ALOO DUM
Heat the oil in a heavy pan and crackle the nigella and cumin seeds for 30 seconds. Add the onion and cook to golden, then the garlic and ginger for a minute more. Stir in the turmeric, ground coriander and chilli, then the blended tomato. Cook this masala down for 8–10 minutes, stirring, until it darkens and the oil separates. Fold in the parboiled potatoes, season, add a splash of water, cover and simmer 10–15 minutes until tender and coated in a thick, clinging sauce. Finish with fresh coriander.
STEP 4: COOK THE CARROT PILAU
Drain the soaked rice. Heat the ghee in a saucepan and crackle the cumin seeds with the bay leaf. Add the diced carrot and ground coriander and cook 2–3 minutes. Stir in the drained rice to coat, add the water or stock and salt, bring to the boil, then cover tightly and cook on the lowest heat for 11–12 minutes. Rest off the heat, lid on, for 5 minutes, then fork through gently.
STEP 5: BUILD THE JIMBU DAL
If using soaked dried black-eyed beans, simmer them with the turmeric and a little salt for 30–40 minutes until creamy but intact (tinned beans need only warming through). Loosen with water to a soft, spoonable dal. For the tempering, heat the ghee in a small pan and add the cumin seeds, sliced garlic, dried chilli and the jimbu, frying just until the jimbu releases its aroma — seconds, not minutes, as it scorches fast. Pour the sizzling temper over the dal and stir through.
STEP 6: PLATE
Spoon the carrot pilau onto the plate and top with the aloo dum. Set the glazed timur pork belly alongside, and serve the jimbu dal in its own pool or small bowl. Finish with a pinch of fresh coriander.
Comments, or questions, for this recipe
Add a new comment