How to make " Sweet Potato and Pork Shoulder Tagine"

Rich in potassium, sweet potatoes help prevent edema and boost metabolism. A tagine (a shallow earthenware cooking dish with a tall, conical lid) is widely used in North Africa, and can be easily used for sautéing and simmering. If you do not have a tagine, you can use a skillet with a lid fit snugly. Although onions and raisins offer sweetness to the sauce, this dish goes very well with simple bread.

[Ingredients] (1 cup = 8 fl oz = approximately 240 ml, 1 Tbsp = 15 ml = 3 tsp)

Serves 2

200 g or 7 oz pork shoulder, cut into large bite size pieces

100 g or 3-1/2 oz sweet potatoes, diagonally sliced

20 g or 2/3 oz (2 Tbsp) raisins

1/4 large onion (60 g or 2 oz), julienne

1/2 Tbsp fresh parsley leaves, finely chopped

1/4 tsp turmeric

1/4 tsp paprika

1/4 tsp ground ginger

1/4 tsp ground coriander

1/2 Tbsp olive oil

A pinch of salt and pepper

100ml or 3-3/8 fl oz (a little over 3/8 cup) water

[Directions]

1.       Heat olive oil in a tagine or skillet. Add onion, pork shoulder, turmeric, paprika, ginger, and coriander, and sauté them.

2.       Pour in water, and cover the tagine with a lid. Simmer until the pork is tender.

3.       Add sweet potatoes and raisins, and cover the tagine with the lid again. Simmer until the sweet potatoes are tender. Garnish the dish with parsley leaves.

* If all the liquid is absorbed during simmering, add a little water.