Sorpatel

Sorpatel (sometimes spelt Soropatel, Sarapatel, Sarupatel or Sorupatel) is a rich stew made from the shoulders, neck, kidneys, liver and ears of the pig, served with pao, the Goan bread, and rice.

The dish is prepared especially for Christmas, Easter and the the feast day of Goa's patron saint St. Francis Xavier by the largely Roman Catholic population of Goa.

Like another Goan dish, Balchao, it is believed that the flavour of sorpatel improves with age and should be prepared upto a week in advance.

Ingredients for a typical Sorpatel (the actual recipe varies greatly region to region):

• 1kg pork
• 1kg pork liver
• 1 cup pork blood
• 1/2 cup coconut vinegar
• small ball of tamarind, soaked in a cup of water
• 1 whole head of garlic, finely chopped
• 2 inch piece of ginger, finely chopped
• 3 onions, finely chopped
• 4 green chillies, finely chopped
• salt to taste

For the masala - grind the following into a paste with a little vinegar:

• 20 dry chillies
• 1 teaspoon cumin seeds
• 6 cloves
• 1 tsp tumeric
• 10 peppercorns
• 1 inch piece cinammon bark