I was at the library looking up some low-GI cook books and found this interesting Pork with Chickpeas & Orange Recipe which I thought of making for dinner. The original recipe uses canned chopped tomatoes and dried chilli but I substituted them with fresh tomatoes and chilli flakes. Also added extra ketchup and sweet chilli sauce for that tangy, sweet and spicy kick. I liked that the orange rind had infused the dish with a refreshing citrusy flavour that really tingled the taste buds. But I’d probably use canned chickpeas next time to save some cooking time and also use a light chicken stock to replace the cooking water. Overall, it was a nice casserole-style dish that we enjoyed on its own. We needed no rice as the chickpeas were equally filling.
Pork Stew with Chickpeas & Orange Recipe
Ingredients (serves 2)
250g pork shoulder, cut into small cubes
250g dried chickpeas, soaked in water overnight
1 large onion, sliced
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
4 medium sized tomatoes, diced
grated rind of 1 fresh orange
1/2 tsp dried chilli flakes
1/4 cup tomato ketchup
2 tbsp sweet chilli sauce
salt & freshly cracked black pepper
Instructions
1. Rinse and drain the chickpeas at least twice. Boil the chickpeas for 1 hour or till soft. Reserve the cooking water.
2. Heat a little vegetable oil in pan and brown the pork cubes. Remove and set aside.
3. In the same pan, saute the onions till soft and then add garlic. Stir fry till fragrant.
4. Add the diced tomatoes, orange rind, chilli flakes, ketchup, chilli sauce, chickpeas, pork and enough reserved cooking water to cover. Bring to a boil and then simmer for an hour till the pork is tender. Add more cooking water if it dries up.
4. When done, just season with salt and pepper.