Sorpotel is a rich, spicy Goan pork dish made for Christmas, weddings and feasts. It came from Portuguese sarapatel, a stew of offal, and Goan cooks made it their own with local chillies, spices and toddy vinegar. Traditional sorpotel uses pork meat, fat and liver, and sometimes heart and blood, boiled, diced small and cooked in a vinegar masala.
The flavour is deeply savoury, tangy and spicy, with a rich, slightly gamey depth from the liver. The gravy is thick, dark red and coats every small piece of meat. Like vindaloo, sorpotel is cooked ahead, and families reheat it daily for several days, which concentrates the flavour. The texture is soft and rich.
It is served with sannas, the soft steamed rice cakes of Goa, or with pao. A plate of sorpotel and sannas is the centrepiece of many Goan Christmas lunches. Many Goans believe sorpotel is best on the third day, and families plan their festive cooking around that. It also freezes well for later meals.
At a glance
| Region | Goa |
|---|---|
| Cuisine | Goan |
| Diet | Non-vegetarian |
| Course | Main course |
| Prep time | 40 minutes |
| Cook time | 90 minutes |
| Total time | 130 minutes |
| Serves | 8 |
| Spice level | Hot |
| Difficulty | Hard |
| Gluten-free | Yes |
| Key ingredients | pork / pork liver / kashmiri chillies / vinegar |
Ingredients
For boiling
- 1 kg pork with fat (shoulder or belly)
- 250 g pork liver
- 1 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp turmeric
- Water to cover
For the masala
- 20 dried Kashmiri chillies
- 1 tsp cumin seeds
- 1 tsp black peppercorns
- 8 cloves
- 2 inch cinnamon
- 1 tsp turmeric
- 20 garlic cloves
- 2 inch ginger
- 3/4 cup coconut or palm vinegar
For cooking
- 3 tbsp oil or pork fat
- 3 onions, finely chopped
- 4 green chillies, slit
- 1 tbsp sugar
- Salt to taste
Method
- Put the pork and liver in a pot with salt, turmeric and water to cover. Bring to a boil and simmer for 20-25 minutes until just cooked.
- Remove the meat, cool and dice into very small, 1/2 inch cubes. Keep the stock.
- Soak the chillies in the vinegar for 30 minutes and grind with the other masala ingredients to a smooth paste.
- Heat oil in a heavy pot on medium. Fry the diced pork fat pieces first for 5 minutes to render fat, then add the onions and green chillies and cook for 10 minutes until golden.
- Add the masala paste and fry for 8-10 minutes until it darkens and oil separates.
- Add the diced meat and liver and fry for 5 minutes. Pour in 2 cups of the reserved stock and add sugar and salt.
- Simmer on low for 30-40 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the gravy is thick and the meat is tender. Cool and refrigerate.
- Reheat once a day for 2-3 days before serving, adding a splash of vinegar or stock if it gets too thick.
Tips
- Dice the meat very small; this is characteristic of sorpotel.
- Reheating daily is traditional and essential for the best flavour.
- Keep the stock; it adds depth to the gravy.
Serve with
Sannas or Goan pao.