A Khasi Recipe for Pork with Black Sesame

For the Khasis, pork is a meat for all seasons. A walk through the market in Shillong yields all kinds of delicious surprises, from bags of foraged mushrooms to ox tongue and trotters. Little shops that smell delicious have sooty fireplaces at the back, where pork is strung up and smoked for weeks, as the embers die slowly in the cold. Customers on bare wooden benches lean into plates of steamed rice with an assortment of meats, fresh salads and spicy chutneys. Pork is present on every plate.

Recipe: Doh Nei Ïong

Ingredients
1 kg pork, with a bit of fat included, cubed
2 tbsp nei iong paste (Roast the sesame seeds, cool, then grind to a thick paste)
3 green chillies, sliced
2 medium onion, chopped fine or to a paste
8-10 garlic pods,chopped fine or to a paste
2 tbsp mustard oil
1/2 thumb ginger, ground to a paste
1/4 tsp turmeric powder
2 tsp black pepper

Method
In a heavy bottomed cooker, heat the mustard oil till it shimmers
Then add in the green chillies, stir for a few seconds before adding in the garlic
Saute for a minute
Now add in the onions, and saute until soft and translucent
Add in the turmeric and pepper, and stir so the onions are well coated. Saute again for 5 minutes. If it gets too dry, add in a quarter cup of water
Now add in the ginger. Let it saute, stirring for about a minute. Then add in the ground sesame paste with 1 cup of water
Allow the mix to simmer for about 10 min on a low flame. The aromas should change slightly as it all comes together
Now add in the pork and salt, and mix well. Let it cook on open flame for a minute, then add in 1/4 cup water
Fasten the lid, and pressure cook on low flame for 20 minutes after first whistle

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