LOULLA MAKES AFELIA AND TALKS ABOUT GROWING UP AT GREEK CYPRIOT CHRISTMAS TIME ON THIS MORNING 

This morning ITV
LOULLA’S GREEK CYPRIOT CHRISTMAS AND AFELIA RECIPE.
AFELIA
Αφέλεια
(Pork in red wine with coriander seeds)
Loulla’s recipes
Afelia is a speciality of Cyprus and it is made all the year round, you could also add baby cracked potatoes or mushrooms. The origin of Afelia it said to have come from the Ancient Greek word called Ovelia, it simply means grilled meat.
At Christmas time in the old days it was served to the helpers at the slaughtering of a home bred pig and was served with cracked wheat pilaff. It is still very popular in Cyprus and its fame has spread to Greece and the Islands. Pork is popular and economical in Cyprus as it is subsidised by the government.
Serves 4-6
1 kilo (21b) boneless pork shoulder
cut into medium cubes with a little fat left on
100ml (½ cup) vegetable oil
2 glasses dry red wine
½ glass red wine vinegar
2 tbsp. coriander seeds crushed coarsely
2 small sticks cinnamon
2 bay leaves
½ tsp ground cinnamon
½ tsp ground cumin
1 tsp tomato purée(optional)
salt and freshly ground black pepper
chopped, fresh coriander leaves (for garnish).
Method
If you have the time it is best to marinate the pork in the wine, wine vinegar and crushed coriander seeds for several hours or overnight.
Drain the pork well and reserve the marinade for later.
Pat the meat dry with kitchen paper, heat the oil in a heavy based saucepan and brown the pork in batches until golden brown all over.
Return all the meat to the pan, add the cinnamon sticks, bay leaves, ground cinnamon, cumin, tomato purée and season with salt and pepper. Pour in the marinade and enough warm water to just cover the meat. Bring to the boil, skim if necessary, cover the pan and simmer for 45-50 minutes or until the meat is tender and the sauce has thickened. Serve with ‘Pourgouri’ (cracked wheat pilaff) and thick Greek yoghurt and decorate with fresh coriander leaves and crushed coriander seeds. Loulla Astin recipe.