Mangalorean Pork Sorpotel
Pork Sorpotel is Goa’s most iconic dish that celebrates pork. It is delicately spicy, delightfully earthy and distinctively tangy. Small pieces of pork belly are sautéed and simmered in a luscious curry of spices, herbs and vinegar. Packed with big bold flavours, it is a sumptuous treat for curry lovers! A recipe with the most satisfying results without offal!

Mangalorean Pork Sorpotel aka Sarapatel is one of the most recognisable pork dishes that lends its origin to the Portuguese and is a traditional Goan dish. That being said, this pork stew is a favourite across the Konkan coast of India, in Mangalore, Goa, among the East Indians and now around the globe.
Every family, grandma, cook, and chef in India will have their own way of making Pork Sorpotel. Today, I’ll be sharing my rendition of Pork Sorpotel, tested to perfection!
No celebration in Mangalore or Goa is complete without the appearance of this sorpotel on the table. It is as loved as Mangalorean Christmas Special Pork Indad, or Chicken Indad Curry, or Roast Chicken with Stuffing.
Traditionally, Sorpotel is made with a mixture of pork meat, pork organ meat (offal – heart liver, kidney, tongue etc.,) and pork blood. Unlike many cooks, I refuse to be bound by tradition. I don’t much care for the organ meat or blood and so, I have left them out in my version. This sorpotel tastes incredibly moreish even without the use of offal and does not compromise on taste whatsoever.
My Mangalorean Pork Sorpotel is packed with distinctive flavours from spices like Kashmiri chillies/powder, roasted cumin, coriander, black pepper, black mustard seeds along with aromatics like cloves, cardamom, cinnamon and white vinegar, a very common ingredient in Portuguese cuisine.
Those who have been blessed enough to sample a good Pork Sorpotel will testify that it is nothing less than a taste of heaven.
In my family, it is a quietly understood that this pork sorpotel has to be made at least once in 3 months. Oh! how they wished I would cook it every month!!!
What is Sorpotel?
Sorpotel is a vinegar and spice-based pork stew that is gifted to the world from sunny Goa, a paradise on the west coast of India, with a mix of Portuguese and Indian cultures. It is a traditional Goan dish.
The origins of Sorpotel along with its chunky cousin Vindaloo (Vindalho), can be traced back to the sixteenth century Goa, where the Portuguese established a colony and ruled for 450 years from 1510 to 1961.
Flecked with ginger, garlic, green chillies, a generous combination of spices sharpened with a good whack of vinegar, Pork Sorpotel is an Indian fantasy reflected through a Portuguese kaleidoscope. It is now a staple in Roman Catholic cuisine of the west coast of India and around the globe.
Pork Sorpotel is deliciously spicy with Kashmiri chillies, earthy with roasted spices and tangy with vinegar, where all these ingredients are given time to do their job and together, they make that distinctive spicy, earthy, tangy and delectable taste.
Pork Sorpotel is delicious served with hot steamed white rice or red parboiled rice. If you are planning to serve Pork Sorpotel at a dinner party, it pairs perfectly with Mangalore Sannas (spongy steamed rice cakes), or Mutlin/Mutlim/Pundi, or panpolay/neer dosa (Mangalorean lacy rice pancakes) or appams.

frequently asked questions
What cut of pork should I use?
The key ingredient for making a good Pork Sorpotel is a cut of pork with a good amount of fat. My first choice is boneless pork belly. (see Section below – Tips for Making Pork Sorpotel for more pork cut ideas).
Is it necessary to parboil pork?
Parboiling pork makes it easier to chop into pieces.
Why should I chop the pork?
Chopping ensures greater infusion of vinegar, spices and herbs into pork. Also, sautéing works best when pork is chopped into even pieces.
Why sautéing pork pieces is so important?
Sauteing browns the pieces slightly, renders fat and makes the dish flavoursome, while softening the texture of pork pieces. Tip: Use a non-stick heavy- bottomed skillet or shallow frying pan, as it conducts heat evenly and prevents hot spots.
How to get rid of the gamey smell of pork?
Sometimes you may find that there is a gamey smell in your pork and are put off by this gamey smell when the pork is cooking. Most of the gamey flavours reside in the fat and some of this gamey flavour is released during sautéing pork pieces. To get rid of some of the smell, I keep the lid open for 5 minutes once the pork pieces are added to the saucepan. I also find that fresh garlic, spices and vinegar help to neutralize some of the gamey smell once the meat is cooked. I have also heard that some people wash the pork in vinegar and pat dry it before they cook to get rid of some of the gamey smell, although I have not tried this technique.
What’s the best vinegar for cooking Pork Sorpotel?
I have used white vinegar for its sharp taste, and it is easy to source. You may use white wine vinegar for mellow and more rounded acidity.

ingredients for the spice Powder
This recipe starts off by preparing the spice powder, ingredients of which are all basic Indian pantry staple spices that add a unique flavour profile to the final dish – cumin seeds, black mustard seeds, coriander seeds and black peppercorns. Dry roast these whole spices briefly (for a minute or two) individually to bring out all their aroma.
It is important to dry roast the spices individually as each spice takes different time to roast.
Cool the roasted spices completely and blend in a blender or similar appliance to a smooth powder. The house blend spice powder is ready, and all the spice powder is used in this recipe. You will not have any leftovers.
Here’s what goes into making the Mangalorean Pork Sorpotel spice powder:

- The spice Powder – The whole spices in this Pork Sorpotel are cumin seeds, Black mustard seeds, coriander seeds and black pepper corns.
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- Cumin seeds – Added as a part of the spice blend as it harmonises well with mustard seeds, coriander seeds and peppercorns. Dry roast briefly as called for in the recipe, to bring out the best aromas.
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- Black mustard seeds – a key ingredient in this recipe and are added for their savoury, pungent and spicy taste. Do not skip this spice as the taste of the final dish varies if you omit this spice.
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- Coriander seeds – Dry roasted and added for a depth of flavour. Often cumin and coriander are paired for their unique flavours in most Indian meat curries.
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- Black pepper corns – Dry roasted and added for another layer of spiciness to balance the mild heat of the Kashmiri chilli powder.
other ingredients you’ll need
Although the spice powder made above adds a good amount of flavour to the Mangalorean Pork Sorpotel, other additional herbs and spices are essential to round up the flavours and make this pork into a complete dish.
Make sure you have all these ready to go before you start cooking!

- Pork – Typically Pork Sorpotel is made with a boneless cut that has a good amount of fat/marbling and some parts of offal such as pork heart and liver cut up into 1cm pieces or smaller (It’s a pain but trust me the flavours are superb if the meat is cut into small pieces). Please note there is no offal used in this recipe.
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- Cuts of pork that work best for me are: –
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- Boneless pork belly – A good amount of marbling in the pork makes sorpotel succulent and rich. Find at: All large supermarkets or butchers.
- Combo of pork belly and pork leg (Use 50% belly and 50% leg meat) – a good balance of fat from the belly and meat from the leg, if you want to reduce the fat content. Important: Supermarkets sell legs as large roasting legs. You may want to buy a smaller portion at your local butcher.
- Combo of pork shoulder and belly (40% shoulder and 60% belly) – Pork shoulder is flavourful but has less marbling. For a good balance of flavour and marbling, I have sometimes used pork shoulder (for flavour) and pork belly (for its marbling); or
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- Combo of pork belly and pork neck (50% belly and 50% neck) – Again, you may want to check with your local butcher for a small portion of neck.
- Cardamoms, cinnamon sticks and cloves – Added for depth and flavour. Leave them whole while cooking. You may pick and discard them once the curry is cooked. I usually leave them and set them aside on the plate while eating.
- Onions – Create a flavourful base. Chop finely and sauté until lightly golden. Do not burn them as they will impart a bitter taste to the final dish.
- Fresh garlic – A key ingredient that enhances the umami flavour and neutralizes the gamey/porky flavour. The pork belly is a fatty cut, and sautéing renders a certain amount of fat and with that a funky flavour. Add garlic as called for in the recipe. Slice or finely mince to extract all the flavour of garlic. Fresh is always best but use 2-3 tbsp. garlic paste, if using store bought garlic paste.
- Ginger and Green chillies – A must in this Sorpotel, for flavour and a good chilli kick. The recipe calls for 5 green chillies, but feel free to decrease or increase, as per taste! Tip: Remove seeds of some or all chillies, if desired.
- Kashmiri chilli powder – Standard ground spice that you likely already have on hand. Adds a mild spiciness and depth of colour. Increase or decrease as per taste.
- Turmeric Powder – Used extensively in Indian curries, for its distinct earthy undertones and colour. Add only what is called for in the recipe, as too much will give the curry a slightly bitter aftertaste.
- Tamarind pulp – Creates a harmonious balance of tanginess with its sweet and sour taste, in contrast to the sharp taste of white vinegar. Adding tamarind is a matter of choice but adding it accentuates the thickness of the gravy. Use only the pulp as called for in the recipe. Discard the seeds and fibre.
- Indian bay leaves – Different from Mediterranean bay leaves, Indian bay leaves have a distinct flavour and have 3 spines per leaf. Unfortunately, Indian bay leaves bought from Indian supermarkets in Sydney have little or no flavour. As there is no choice, I add them anyway, as this dish looks incomplete without the use of Indian bay leaves. The flavour – no! there is no flavour as such!!
- Vinegar – I like the sharpness of white vinegar, and I have used white vinegar for this recipe. Milder alternative: equal amount of white wine vinegar (for delicate and mild acidity).
Mangalorean Pork Sorpotel Video
how to make Mangalorean Pork Sorpotel!
Originally, Pork Sorpotel is cooked over wood fire in a clay pot, set aside to cool and then consumed over several days when the flavours are matured. Unfortunately, my version is made in a stainless-steel saucepan but tastes delicious just the same.
This recipe comes together quite quickly once the pan is hot. But the final assembly is preceded by a great deal of chopping, soaking, parboiling, sautéing and dry roasting.
Here’s my easy Step-by-Step tutorial for the Mangalorean Pork Sorpotel.
The full instructions to make this Mangalorean Pork Sorpotel are in the recipe card below, but here are some helpful tips to go along with the process photos.
Here’s what we are trying to achieve at each step:

Soak the tamarind
Begin by soaking the tamarind in ¾ cup hot water for 30 minutes while prepping the other ingredients. Using your hand squeeze the tamarind to extract the smooth pulp. Strain, discard seeds and fibre. Set the pulp aside for use in Step 8.



Parboil Pork
Place sliced pork in a deep large saucepan. Cover with cold water and sprinkle with 1-2 tbsp. salt. Place on medium heat and bring to the boil (should take approx. 15 mins). Remove from heat. Set aside to cool.



Dry roast whole spices
Heat a small non-stick frying pan on medium. Dry roast/toast cumin seeds, black mustard seeds, coriander seeds and peppercorns one by one. Each spice takes only 1-2 minutes. Do not burn the spices as they will impart a bitter taste to the final dish. Cool for 5 minutes.



Powder the roasted spices
Place the dry roasted spices into a blender or similar appliance and blend to a smooth powder. Set aside for use in Step 8.



chop the parboiled pork
Once the parboiled pork is cool enough to handle, remove to a large bowl. Strain and reserve the stock for use in Step 8. Chop pork into 1cm pieces or smaller (if patience permits!). Bear in mind that this step takes over 1 hour, so get a pair of spare hands to help with chopping!!!



sauté pork pieces
Place a medium to large non-stick frying pan on medium-low heat. Drizzle 2 tbsp. oil. Sauté pork pieces for 3-4 minutes or until light golden, in batches to avoid overcrowding, stirring regularly to avoid pieces from spitting (I sautéed in 4 batches, as I used a large frying pan). Remove each batch to a bowl and set aside.



sauté onions, garlic, ginger and green chillies
Place a large deep saucepan over medium heat (it must have a well-fitting lid). Add ¼ cup oil and when the oil is medium hot, add cardamoms, cinnamon stick and cloves. Roll spices in oil for 20 seconds. Add onions and sauté for 7-8 minutes or until light brown. Add garlic, ginger and green chillies and sauté for 1 minute.



add pork pieces, other spices and ground spice powder
Add sautéed pork pieces along with any juices from the bowl. Stir thoroughly for 3 minutes to combine. Add Kashmiri chilli powder, tamarind pulp, turmeric powder, the ground spice powder, salt to taste and sugar. Add 4 cups stock and stir well to combine. Close lid and cook for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally. Discard the unused stock.



Finish the dish
Open lid and add vinegar and bay leaves. Stir to combine, close lid, reduce heat to medium-low and simmer for 10 minutes for the flavours to mingle and deepen. Taste and season with salt, vinegar and sugar, if required. Remove from heat.


Tips for making Mangalorean pork sorpotel
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- Select a boneless pork belly (about 48% fat and 40% lean meat) – The Sorpotel turns out rich in taste with a balance of flavour and tenderness; or
- A combination of pork belly (50%) and pork leg meat (50%) – Pork leg meat can get dry when cooked, so I have sometimes used pork belly (for its marbling) and pork leg meat (without fat); or
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- A combination of pork shoulder (40%) and pork belly (60%) – Pork shoulder is flavourful but has less marbling. For a good balance of flavour and marbling, I have sometimes used pork shoulder (for flavour) and pork belly (for its marbling); or
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- A combination of pork belly (50%) and pork neck/Scotch fillet (50%) – For balanced tenderness and flavour, I have sometimes used pork belly and pork neck.
- Plan your dish in advance – This is a labour-intensive celebratory dish, so gather all the ingredients before you decide to cook Pork Sorpotel.
- Start a day ahead to save time. To make it easy, start a day ahead.
- Parboil pork, cool and chop your pork on the earlier day to make it easy for you to finish the dish the next day. Store covered in the fridge for use the next day.
- Weigh the whole spices and dry roast/toast them. Cool and blend to a powder for use the next day.
- Pork Sorpotel tastes rich because some of the smoky flavour comes from sautéing pork before it is cooked. Do not skip this step, as the end dish will make the difference between Pork Sorpotel and a standard Pork Curry.
- Use a good quality vinegar. I use white vinegar because I like its sharp taste in Pork Sorpotel. White vinegar also balances the fat taste of pork with a good punch. Tip: If you are not a fan of white vinegar, use white wine vinegar as an alternative, as it gives a mellower and less acidic effect on the final dish. If all fails, use a vinegar that works best for you. I have heard some people use only lemon juice for acidity while making pork, but I cannot get my heard around to this!!!!!!
What to serve with Mangalorean pork sorpotel
Although Pork Sorpotel is ready to be served immediately, it is a dish that matures with time. It is best served 3-4 days after cooking, as time ensures infusion of flavour into the pork.
- Mangalorean Pork Sorpotel is best enjoyed with Mangalore Sannas (spongy steamed rice cakes).
- My family also loves to mop up the finger licking sauce with Mutlin/Mutlim/Pundi.
- It pairs perfectly with fluffy hot steamed white rice or red parboiled rice or brown rice, for a low GI option.
- My most favourite way of eating pork sorpotel is with pan polay/neer dosa (Mangalorean lacy rice pancakes) or appams (fermented rice pancakes).


HAVE YOU MADE THIS RECIPE?
Let me know how it went! Tag me on Instagram @lavina_mendonsa or leave a comment below!
Mangalorean Pork Sorpotel
Ingredients
- I.5 kg boneless pork belly sliced into 1 cm thick slices
- 4 tbsp. oil + ¼ cup extra
- 1 tsp. cumin seeds 3g
- ¾ tsp. black mustard seeds 2g
- 3 tbsp. coriander seeds 12g
- 1 tsp. black peppercorns 2g
- 2 – 5 green cardamoms
- 6 cm cinnamon stick
- 10 – 15 cloves
- 2 large brown onions finely chopped (375g)
- 15 - 18 large garlic cloves peeled and thinly sliced (60g – 65g)
- 3 tbsp. ginger finely chopped
- 5 - 7 green chillies each slit into two
- 2½ tbsp. – 3 tbsp. Kashmiri chilli powder or to taste 22g-30g
- 1 tsp. turmeric powder 4g
- 1 golf size ball of tamarind 30g - 35g (Note 1)
- 4 Indian bay leaves each torn into two
- 2 tbsp. salt for parboiling pork + extra to taste for the curry
- 1 – 2 tsp. sugar or to taste 5g-10g (optional)
- 175 -250 mL white vinegar or white wine vinegar ¾ - 1 cup or to taste
Instructions
- Soak tamarind - If you are using tamarind (Note 1), soak the ball of tamarind in ¾ (170mL) cup hot water for 30 minutes, while prepping the other ingredients. Using your hand, squeeze the tamarind until a pulp is achieved. Strain and discard the solids. Use only the pulp in Step 8.
- Parboil pork - Place pork in a deep saucepan large enough to hold the sliced pork. Cover with cold water and sprinkle 2 tbsp. salt. Gently stir to combine. Place on medium heat and bring to the boil. Once boiled, the slices will feel hard to touch (takes about 15 minutes). Cooking partially helps with chopping the pork in Step 5. Remove from heat and set aside. Remove pork from the stock and set aside until cool enough to handle (approx. 15 minutes). Strain and reserve the stock for use in Step 8 and discard the rest.
- Dry roast the whole spices - In the meantime, heat a small non-stick frying pan on medium heat. Dry roast cumin seeds until soft tendrils of smoke rise to the surface, stirring regularly. Remove to a bowl. Add black mustard seeds and when they pop, remove to the bowl with the cumin. Add the coriander seeds and pepper corns and dry roast for a minute or two, stirring regularly. Remove to the bowl. Do not burn the spices as they will impart a bitter taste to the final dish. Cool for 10 minutes.
- Powder the roasted spices – Place the dry roasted spices into a blender or a similar appliance and blend to a smooth powder (makes approx. 18g-20g). Set aside for use in Step 8.
- Chop the pork –Chop each slice of pork into 1cm size pieces or smaller if you have the patience! (sorry! this takes a while, but this step will help the pork absorb all the delicious flavours). Repeat with all pork slices. Dreadful job but fully worth the effort!!
- Sauté pork – Place a medium to large non-stick frying pan on medium heat. Drizzle 2 tbsp. oil and sauté pork pieces for 3-4 minutes stirring regularly, in small batches, if necessary, until pale brown. Decrease heat, if the fat pieces begin to spit. The pieces should not be stiff. Remove to a bowl and set aside.
- Sauté the onions, garlic, ginger and green chillies – Place a deep saucepan (it must have a well-fitting lid) on medium heat. Add ¼ cup oil and when the oil is medium hot, add the cardamoms, cinnamon stick and cloves. Roll the spices in the oil for 20 seconds to bring out their flavours. Add onions and sauté till lightly golden (approx. 7-8 mins). Add garlic, ginger and green chillies and sauté for 1 minute. Reduce heat to low.
- Add pork pieces, other spices and the ground spice powder – Add the sautéed pork pieces along with any juices. Stir quickly to combine with the onion mixture. Add the Kashmiri chilli powder, turmeric powder, the prepared tamarind pulp, the ground spice powder, salt to taste and sugar (if adding). Add 3½ – 4 cups of the reserved stock (Note 2) and stir well to combine. Increase heat and bring to the boil. Reduce heat to low, close lid and cook for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the gravy is beginning to thicken.
- Finish the dish - Add vinegar and bay leaves. Close lid and simmer for a further 10 minutes or until the gravy has thickened and the pork is cooked to your liking. Taste and season with salt, vinegar and sugar, if required. Remove from heat.
- Serve hot (Note 3) with hot steamed rice, pulao, Mangalore Sannas (Mangalorean steamed rice cakes), panpolay (Mangalorean lacey rice pancakes) or Appams. Best enjoyed after 2-3 days when the flavours have had time to mingle and develop!
Notes
- Adding tamarind is a matter of choice but adding it will accentuate the thickening of the curry. I use a combination of tamarind and vinegar for the desired sharp intensity of the final dish. If you do not store tamarind at home, you may use only vinegar to your taste. The recipe calls for 175mL-250mL vinegar, depending on taste. Decrease or increase vinegar to suit your taste. Pork Sorpotel is traditionally made only with vinegar to preserve the pork, however, due to health reasons, vinegar is added only to taste. Important: Skipping vinegar will vary the taste of this Pork Sorpotel.
- This is a wet curry to begin with, do not panic if you see a runny curry after you add the stock, and the curry starts to boil. We need this amount of liquid as the curry thickens slightly when resting on the bench and later in the fridge, the pork absorbs some more of the moisture and the curry thickens in a day or two. If you like a drier dish, then perhaps add less stock say about 2½ - 3 cups.
- Although this pork is ready to be eaten immediately, it is best enjoyed after 2 or even 3 days when the flavours are matured and developed. So, if you are planning to serve Pork Sorpotel for an occasion, prepare it 3 days in advance and place it in the fridge. It stays fresh for up to a week in the fridge and what’s more, you have plenty of time to prepare the other dishes for your party.

Hi, I’m Catherine!
I’m all about creating tasty Indian dishes with whatever’s on hand, even when I’m short on time or budget. I love turning simple ingredients into flavorful delights. Join me on this culinary adventure where we’ll explore the magic of Indian cuisine, one delicious dish at a time!