Pork with Lentils served at our house.
Pork (or Lamb) with Lentils
Serves 4
2 teaspoons ground cumin seeds
4 teaspoons ground coriander seeds
½ teaspoon ground turmeric
½ teaspoon cayenne pepper (I used less)
app. 1 tablespoon oil (the recipe calls for more but there is no need to use that much)
1 medium onion, peeled and finely chopped
1 teaspoon peeled and finely grated fresh ginger
225 g / 8 oz finely chopped tomatoes
675g / 1½ lbs boneless shoulder pork (I used tenderloin), cut into 4 cm / 1½ inch cubes
200g / 6,75 oz green lentils, washed and drained
1½ teaspoon salt, or to taste
Combine cumin, coriander, turmeric and cayenne in a small bowl. Add 2 tablespoons water. Stir to mix.
Put the oil in a large, wide pan and set over medium heat. When hot pour in the onions. Stir and sauté for about 3 minutes, until the edges are brown. Put in the ginger and stir for 30 seconds. Add the spice paste and stir for 1 minute. Add the tomatoes, stirring for 2-3 minutes. Pour in 250 ml / 8 fl oz water and bring to boil. Cover and cook over a medium-high heat for 10 minutes, scraping up the sediments now and then. When the sauce is greatly reduced (this took more than 10 minutes for me), add the lentils, 900 ml / 32 fl oz (I used a lot less water – perhaps only 2/3 of that amount) and the salt. Stir and bring to simmer. Cover partially and cook for 40 minutes (my lentils were tender before the 40 minutes where up but I kept them simmering and they soaked up a lot of the water and tasted great) or until the lentils are tender. Check for salt, adding more if needed.
This has a great aromatic taste but it isn’t hot; it is very delicate and tastes well. The meat becomes very tender and flavourful. I served this dish with a light green salad which I think was great because something heavier would have been too much. Lentils are very filling.
Bon Appetit!
