Margaret Fulton's Spiced Pork Stew with Chickpeas

A stew is the perfect way to end the Queens Birthday long weekend. Mum found this recipe from the Sunday Age magazine a few weeks ago, and since we were yet to use our new red casserole pot, this was the perfect recipe for the pot's maiden dish.

• 500g diced pork Scotch fillet
• 1 large onion, sliced
• 1 teaspoon ground chili (we used chili flakes instead)
• 1 teaspoon turmeric
• 2 cloves crushed garlic
• 2 carrots cut into chunks
• 400g can chickpeas, drained
• 1/2 cup water (we found that 1/2 water was not enough and ended up using 1 cup of stock)
• Salt and pepper
• 1 punnet cherry tomatoes
• 1/2 bunch parsley leaves chopped
• 1/2 bunch mint leaves chopped
• Lemon juice

1 . Heat a flameproof casserole dish with a tablespoon of oil and brown the pork, set aside. Add onions and cook until soft. Add chili and turmeric. Stir in garlic, carrots and salt and pepper to taste. Return the pork into the pot and add drained chickpeas and water (we added 1 cup of stock instead).

2. Bring slowly to a simmer and reduce the heat to low, cover and cook gently for 1.5 hours. Add cherry tomatoes, parsley and mint and continue to cook uncovered for 5 minute. Sprinkle with half a lemon juice.
This is the perfect comfort food - the meat was tender, the carrots and tomatoes sweet and juicy, the chickpeas were mushy (well I like it mushy), the mint and parsley added a burst of freshness and the lemon's tanginess complete the dish.