Celebrate Nepali New Year with Pork Choila

Bisket Jatra marks the starting of the Nepali New Year, AKA Navavarsha. The celebration of the festival goes on for a week. The festival is celebrated with great pomp and show accompanied by parades, parties, family get together and ofcourse huge family dinner. Infact, for a foodie like me, that's the best part, haha! Bhaktapur looks beautiful that day as it is sponsors the most exciting annual events right at the Kathmandu valley. A huge chariot, that carries the idols of Bhairab God, is dragged by number of villagers to the Khalna Tole. The tug of war competition takes place between the Eastern and Western sides of town, accompanied by huge applause.

Hope you enjoyed my meat recipe, red meat gravy, which was an authentic recipe of Rajasthan, India. Now here I am with one more traditional recipe called Choila. Choila is very popular dish in Nepal and relished by the localites. Choila can be made with any kinda meat, be it chicken, duck, beef or pork. I've tried the one with pork. The recipe is very spicy but you can make minor alteration as per taste. Traditionally served with the local beaten rice, the dish is definitely a winner in all respect. So let’s celebrate the Nepali New Year with Pork Choila.

Ingredients:-

For Curry

3 lbs. boneless Pork,

1 teaspoon Turmeric,

Salt and Pepper to taste,

1 tablespoon Chili paste,

1/8 teaspoon Asafoetida,

2 tablespoons Mustard oil,

1 tablespoon Garlic paste,

1 tablespoon Ginger paste,

2 tablespoons Lemon juice,

1 tablespoon Cumin powder,

1/4 teaspoon grated Nutmeg,

1/4 teaspoon Sichuan pepper,

3 medium diced, boiled and fried potatoes.

Marinade for Choila

1 inch sliced ginger,

5 sliced Red chilies,

3 minced Garlic cloves,

1/2 teaspoon Turmeric,

Salt and pepper to taste,

1/8 teaspoon Asafoetida,

3 tablespoons Mustard oil,

1 tablespoon toasted Cumin seeds.

For Garnish

1 teaspoon Fenugreek,

2 minced Garlic cloves,

2 tablespoons Mustard oil,

1/2 chopped Green onion,

Handful chopped Coriander.

Preparation Method:-

1. In a large bowl, combine the ingredients for curry into a paste.  Add pork chops to the paste and mix to coat thoroughly. Set aside for two hours.
2. Then, grill the chops until cooked thoroughly. Cut into 1/2 inch cubes when done. Now prepare a smooth paste of marinade for Choila.
3. In a bowl, mix the smooth paste, of marinade for Choila, with the grilled pork cubes. Pour two tablespoons of mustard oil, toss it well to coat thoroughly.
4. Add into a wok, along with potatoes, and cook thoroughly till the paste blends well with the pork. This will take 20 minutes on slow. You can simply use boiled potatoes or boiled and fried potatoes here.
5. For garnishing, in a pan, heat two tablespoons of oil, splitter fenugreek till it turns dark. Add garlic and fry till light brown.
6. Pour this oil mixture over the cooked meat. Add green onions and coriander. Toss the meat. Serve with steamed rice. 

Happy New Year!

Enjoy Vietnamese New Year with Coconut Pork Curry

Did you know that Tet is the common term for the Vietnamese New Year? It is held on the first day of first month according to the Lunar calendar. Tet marks respect and remembrance for Vietnamese. People celebrate New Year with their dear ones. Tet calls for celebration during the agricultural year. Tet is a party time similar to Christmas and New Year. People invite their close friends and relatives for dinner, decorate their houses with  branches of peach blossom, kumquat tree and colorful flowers. Everything is decked up in yellow and red color as it denotes good luck.

There are lot of goodies prepared on this day. These include banh tet, pickled onions, boiled chicken, mung bean pudding, Vietnamese sausage, red sticky rice, thit heo kho etc. Thit heo kho is recipe consisting of pork and eggs in coconut juice. Coconut water is the clear liquid inside the coconut. It helps in losing weight, gives glow to our skin, reduces effect of hangover, facilitates digestion, boosts hydration and reduces blood pressure. Moreover pork is good for you, full of life-preserving nutrients and vitamins. It's combination with coconut water and hot spices is superb. I would love to pair it up with traditional sticky rice. This recipe is a breakdown of New Year food staples right from Asian cultures.

Ingredients:-

4 star anise,

375 ml water,

60 ml fish sauce,

½ chopped onion,

750 ml coconut juice,

60 ml light soy sauce,

1 kg pork belly cubes,

2 chopped garlic cloves,

2 chopped spring onions,

2 tablespoons brown sugar,

4 chopped French shallots,

1 tablespoon vegetable oil,

Green onion for garnishing,

8 hard-boiled and peeled eggs,   

1½ tablespoons dark soy sauce,

½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper.

Preparation Method:-

1. Combine shallots, spring onion, pork, garlic, fish sauce, soy sauces, pepper, sugar and star anise in a bowl. Stir to coat the pork. Marinate in the refrigerator for at least 3 hours.
2. Heat the oil in a large, heavy-based saucepan over medium-high heat and add the onion. Fry until golden then remove the pork from the marinade and add to the pan. Seal over high heat.
3. Add the marinade, coconut juice and water. Bring to the boil and skim off any scum that rises to the surface. Gently simmer for 1 hour, skimming occasionally.
4. Add the eggs and simmer for a further hour. Garnish with coriander and serve with jasmine rice.
   

Happy New Year!