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Dinner recipe · from the recipe book

Dry Spiced Pork and Spinach Bhuna

Tender pork shoulder is seared and slowly cooked down with onion, ginger, garlic and toasted spices until the masala clings to every piece, then folded with wilted spinach and served over fluffy basmati-style rice.

Dry Spiced Pork and Spinach Bhuna

Ingredients

  • 1½ lb680 gPork shoulder (Boston butt), trimmedtrimmed and cut into 1-inch cubes
  • 2 tbsp28 gCanola oil
  • 3 medium330 gYellow onionthinly sliced
  • 6 cloves18 gGarlicminced
  • 3½ tbsp grated20 gFresh gingergrated
  • 2 medium246 gTomatoesfinely chopped
  • 2 tsp4 gGround cumin
  • 2¼ tsp4 gGround coriander
  • ¾ tsp2 gGround turmeric
  • 1¾ tsp4 gPaprika (sweet or smoked)
  • ½ tsp1 gCrushed red pepper
  • ½ tsp1 gGround cardamom
  • 1 tsp6 gSalt
  • 3 cups710 gWater
  • 6⅔ cups loosely packed200 gBaby spinachroughly chopped
  • 2 tbsp30 gLemon juice
  • ⅔ cup chopped10 gFresh cilantrochopped
  • 1⅓ cups250 gLong-grain white rice, dryrinsed

Steps

  1. Prepare first: cube the pork shoulder, slice the onion, mince the garlic, grate the ginger, chop the tomato, spinach and cilantro, and rinse the rice. Mix the cumin, coriander, turmeric, paprika, red pepper flakes and cardamom in a small bowl as the spice mix.
  2. Heat half of the canola oil in a Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Brown the pork in two batches, about 4 minutes per batch, and transfer it to a plate.
  3. Lower the heat to medium, add the remaining half of the canola oil and the onion, and cook, stirring, until deep golden, 12 to 15 minutes.
  4. Stir in the garlic and ginger and cook 1 minute, then add the spice mix and toast 30 seconds until fragrant.
  5. Add the tomato and half of the salt and cook until it breaks down and the oil separates, about 6 minutes.
  6. Return the pork with its juices, add 240 g of the water, cover, and simmer gently for 50 minutes, stirring now and then.
  7. Meanwhile, bring the remaining 470 g of water and the remaining half of the salt to a boil in a saucepan, add the rice, cover, and simmer on low for 15 minutes; rest off the heat, covered, for 10 minutes.
  8. Uncover the curry, raise the heat to medium-high and cook, stirring often, until the liquid evaporates and the masala coats the pork thickly, 8 to 10 minutes. The pork should be fork-tender and well past 145°F (63°C).
  9. Fold in the spinach and cook until wilted and dry, about 3 minutes. Stir in the lemon juice.
  10. Scatter the cilantro over the curry and serve with the rice.

Allergens: none of the nine major allergens in the ingredients as written.

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Saved in the Every Helping recipe book on October 24, 2026.

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