Aad Maas (Meat Bone Curry)

For feasts and festivals in Goa, people usually slaughter their home raised pigs to prepare sorpotel with the various organ meats, utilizing the fatty meat to prepare vindalho or stew, leaving the ribs and bones to prepare the delicious aad maas curry. In Konkani, aad means bone and maas is meat. This meat bone curry is rich, red and spicy. Cooked on a low heat till the meat is tender and draws away from the bone. 

The curry is not hot as the spices in the gravy are well balanced with the addition of tamarind, vinegar and a pinch of sugar. Eaten with rice or soaked up with sannas (spongy steamed rice cakes), this curry is definitely mouth watering. I prefer to eat with sannas to enjoy the spicy goodness.

Pork is a good source of protein which is vital for repairing and maintaining body tissue and muscle mass.

Aad Maas (Meat Bone Curry)
(Serves 8)

Ingredients:
1 kg pork bones with meat on them (cut into pieces)
2 large onions (sliced)
1/4 cup vinegar
1 cup tamarind water
2 cups water
a pinch of sugar
Salt 

To be ground to a coarse paste not fine (with water)
15 Kashmiri Chillies
6 large cloves of garlic
1" piece of ginger
8 cloves
3 green cardamoms
3 sticks of cinnamon (2" each)
10 peppercorns
1 teaspoon cumin seeds
1/2 teaspoon turmeric powder

Method:
Season pork bones with salt and marinate with the coarse ground paste for a couple of hours.

In a pan, add the marinated pork along with onions, tamarind water and plain water. Halfway through the cooking process, add vinegar, a pinch of sugar and taste for salt. Place the pan on medium heat and cook till the meat draws away from the bone, around 45 minutes to an hour.

Note:

1. Add half a bouillon cube to enhance the taste.
2. This dish matures and taste delicious the next day.
3. As the ribs and bones have fat, the onions are usually cooked with the pork. No oil is required for this dish.