Pork stew with vegetables and roasted eggplant

Name: Pork stew with vegetables and roasted eggplant
Ingredients: 1 large eggplant (400 g); 2 medium tomatoes (300 g); 2 medium onions (300 g); 4-5 garlic cloves; 2 tablespoons oil; 400 g pork leg; 60 ml water; 20 g Mirodenia cooking base; 1/8 teaspoon chilli; 2 g fresh basil

Meat - Pork stew with vegetables and roasted eggplant by Olga A. - Recipia

Pork stew with vegetables and roasted eggplant brings together cubes of pork leg, eggplant and roasted tomatoes in a modest amount of sauce, with softened onion and garlic in the background. This eggplant and roasted tomato stew has a thick, slightly smoky sauce, and the basil goes in at the end; I cut the eggplant a little larger than the meat. Prep: 20 minutes. Cook: 76 minutes. Rest: 15 minutes. Total time: 111 minutes. Servings: 2. Approximately 730 kcal and 56 g protein per serving.

Ingredients

1 large eggplant (400 g)
2 medium tomatoes (300 g)
2 medium onions (300 g)
4-5 garlic cloves
2 tablespoons oil
400 g pork leg
60 ml water
20 g Mirodenia cooking base
1/8 teaspoon chilli
2 g fresh basil

Preparation

1. Preheat the oven to 220 °C. Prick the eggplant a few times with a fork and place it whole on a baking tray with the tomatoes. Roast for 35 minutes, until the eggplant is soft and the tomato skins split. 2. Leave the vegetables to cool for 15 minutes. Peel them, leave the eggplant to drain, then cut it into cubes and the tomatoes into slices. 3. Peel the onion and garlic, then slice them thinly. Heat the oil in a saucepan and sauté them for 3 minutes, until softened. 4. Cut the pork leg into cubes and add it to the saucepan. Stir, pour in 60 ml water and cover. Simmer over low heat for 30 minutes, until the meat is almost tender. 5. Add the eggplant, tomatoes, Mirodenia seasoning base and chilli. Cover and simmer for another 8 minutes, until the meat is tender. Tear the fresh basil over the top and stir.

Notes

Keep in a sealed container in the fridge for up to 3 days; you can make it a day ahead and add the basil when reheating. Choose a firm eggplant with shiny skin; a very large, soft one may have lots of seeds and more water. Pork cubes larger than 3 cm may need another 5-10 minutes covered before you add the vegetables. If the tomatoes are very juicy, simmer the stew uncovered for another 5 minutes, until the sauce comes together. I serve it with mămăligă, Romanian polenta. Instead of the Mirodenia seasoning base, you can use 1 teaspoon salt and 1/2 teaspoon sweet paprika.

Frequently asked questions

Can I use cherry tomatoes?

Yes, use 250 g and roast them for 20 minutes at 220 °C; take them off the tray before the eggplant if they have already softened.

Can I replace the fresh tomatoes with canned tomatoes?

Yes, use 250 g chopped tomatoes, well drained. The flavour will be less roasted, and there’s no need to peel them.

Can I use pork tenderloin?

Yes, cut it into cubes about 3 cm across and simmer covered for 12-15 minutes before adding the vegetables; it cooks faster than pork leg.

Can I brown the meat separately?

Yes, brown the cubes in the saucepan for 4-5 minutes and transfer them to a plate. Then sauté the onion and garlic in the same saucepan and return the meat with the water.

Pork stew with vegetables and roasted eggplant

Ingredients

Preparation

Notes

Frequently asked questions

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