Jeyaranee's Pork Stew

What is it about grandparents and their grandkids? The same people who would have told you that they are not running a restaurant for you to demand a dish, then go weak and give their grandkids anything they want.

This is the story of Surekha and her paternal grandma, Jeyaranee. One of her favourite demands when my mother-in-law was around was her pork stew. It was amazing how there always seemed to be a cut of pork in the freezer that would get quickly defrosted and turned into lunch with rice and a simple stir fried veg.

For some time after mother-in-law's passing, Surekha couldn’t find a satisfying enough pork stew, so she started badgering me to make it. Took several attempts, but apparently it finally taste as good as it gets.

Ingredients:

3cm ginger slice

5 pips garlic slice

1 medium onion slice

2-3 green chili - slit down the middle and then bit into 3cm

4-5 chili padi smash

650g lean pork - thinly sliced

1 large potato - half and slice

2 tsp white pepper powder

1 tsp 5 spice powder

Salt and pinch of sugar

1 cup water or enough to cover the pork

Small bunch of spring onions roughly cut up (optional)

Method:

1. Sauté ginger and garlic until brown. Then add onions, pork, seasoning and water.

2. Cook on medium heat and leave the pot uncovered.

3. Then cover and continue to cook.

4. Uncover to add chilies and continue cooking.

5. Separately fry the potatoes and leave aside.

6. When pork is soft enough to cut with fork, add the potatoes in.

7. Add more water if necessary as the potatoes will absorb it.

8. Give it a quick boil.

9. Turn off heat and add the bottom part of the spring onions

10. Leave covered

11. Add the greens of the spring onions before serving.