Indian Spiced Roast Pork with Yellow Curry Cucumber Raita

Indian Spiced Roast Pork with Curry Cucumber Raita

A nicely roasted, simply seasoned, center loin of pork always makes for a great dinner and depending on the size of the roast you use can easily be a workable weekday meal. This one was exactly that but with a huge flavor boost. We rubbed the outside of the entire roast in a mixture of Indian spices that were worked into a paste. We left the pork loin to marinate in the spice rub overnight and then just popped it into the oven after work. The yogurt for the raita was drained overnight as well so that could be made quickly as the pork loin roasted.

A load or two of laundry later and with some quick couscous as a side dish along with that warmly spiced , creamy cucumber raita and another delicious dinner was on the table. This is another recipe that proves that with as little as 10 minutes the previous evening, the stress of weekday dinners is easily dissipated.

Marinade

4 clove finely minced garlic
2 tsp cumin
1 tsp ground cardamom
4 tsp ground ginger
4 tbsp garam masala
2 tbsp yellow curry powder
3 tbsp olive oil
1 1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp black pepper
lemon juice (enough to bring the rest of the ingredients together into a paste)

Rub the spice paste all over the outside of the pork roast. Cover and leave to marinate for an hour or tow or overnight. Roast uncovered, on a roasting rack in a 375 degree F oven for 30 minutes and then reduce the heat to 350 degrees and roast until the internal temperature reaches 150-165 degrees F. I like my pork pretty well done but still juicy so I tend to go toward the upper end of the scale. Let the roast rest for 5- 10 minutes before carving and serving.

Yellow Curry Cucumber Raita
3 cups yogurt, drained

Draining the yogurt removes much of the liquid and produces an end product about the consistency of thick sour cream. To drain the yogurt, line a colander with several layers of cheesecloth (or in a pinch, several large coffee filters) Pour the yogurt into the colander and place it in a large bowl or in the sink for an hour or two. this should produce about 2 cups of thick yogurt.

6 inch piece of English cucumber

Peel the piece of cucumber and remove the seeds and pulp at the center with a teaspoon, then dice the outside flesh of the cucumber into small cubes of  1/8 inch or less.

2 tbsp finely chopped fresh chives

2 cloves minced garlic

3 tbsp fresh lemon juice

2 tbsp olive oil

2 tbsp yellow curry powder

1/2 tsp ground cumin

pinch salt and pepper to season

Mix well, cover and store in the fridge for at least a half hour before serving.