Sikkimese Pork Curry

Bone-in pork braised in the Sikkimese-Nepali manner — pork pieces browned in oil with sliced onion, ginger, garlic, and green chilli, then spiced with turmeric, coriander, cumin, and a handful of dried Sichuan pepper for a numbing warmth particular to Himalayan cooking, and slow-simmered with bamboo shoots or fermented gundruk until the pork is completely tender and the gravy is thick and deeply flavoured. Pork is the most important meat in Sikkimese culture; it is available year-round, deeply embedded in Bhutia, Lepcha, and Nepali traditions in the state, and features at every communal celebration from births to harvests.