Pork Menudo from Philippines

There are stews and there are stews but this pork stew has to be one of the best.  For those who don't eat pork you can substitute the pork with chicken if you wish.  The traditional way of cooking this dish is to have half pork/half liver.  Many people don't cook liver or much like the taste of it, so I have cooked this menudo without liver.  Don't confuse this dish with Mexican menudo as it's very different.  Mexican menudo is a sort of a soup cooked with tripe.  This is nothing like that.  No offal in this version at all.  Although this dish tastes divinely exotic, it is extremely simple to make.  I gather it is a staple in the Philippines.  You can serve it with rice or bread.  I chose to have it with rice.

2 teaspoons paprika
1/2 teaspoon chili powder
1 tablespoon fruit chutney
1 tablespoon sugar
2 tablespoons soy sauce
2 tablespoons olive oil
3 tablespoons tomato paste
2 tablespoons lemon juice
2 tablespoons raisins
500g pork cut into cubes
1 large onion sliced
4 garlic cloves finely chopped
2 potatoes cut into cubes
1 carrot diced

1 large handful frozen peas
half a cup water
salt and pepper to taste
Coat the bottom of the pot with olive oil and add the onion and garlic.  Fry until it becomes soft.  Add the pork, carrot and potato cubes.  Brown the meat a little.  Add the water and the rest of the ingredients.  Mix together, bring to the boil then allow to simmer until the potatoes are soft.  Serve with steamed rice.

Cindy Vine is a South African currently living in Ukraine and is the author of Not Telling, The Case of Billy B, Defective and Hush Baby.  All her books are available on Amazon is both kindle and print format.