AI-generated photo.
Colombian · Iconic, Tolima · Colombia
Lechona
Lechona (lechona), a Tolima plate from Colombia.
Pai editors’ mark 5 / 5
Plan, list, and collections
Lechona is cooked in Tolima as its own plate, not as a copy of a restaurant menu. Season the pork and rice with cumin and roast them together until the rice is dry and the pork is cooked through. A whole stuffed pig is the feast. Tenderloin and rice are what this pantry weighs. Amounts are for 4 from foods this library can count.
Health
How this plate sits
Counted from the ingredient table. The score, richness, and badges describe one serving as written. The ring and the nutrient table follow the serving count above. This is general information, not medical advice.
95
Health score
Light & nourishing
Moderate
Richness
Light
Light to very rich, from fat, saturated fat, sugar, and the cream or butter in the plate.
- Protein 32%
- Carbs 53%
- Fat 15%
Watch · Diabetes-friendly
It misses a gentler mark: sugar, fiber, the starch mix, or the richness of the plate.
Suits · Heart-friendly
Saturated fat, cholesterol, and sodium stay modest, with some fiber.
Suits · Weight loss
Calories stay contained and protein is high enough to feel like a meal.
Suits · High protein
About 32.7 g of protein in the serving.
Suits · Low sodium
About 361 mg of sodium, under the 450 mg mark.
Suits · Gluten-free
No wheat, barley, or rye in the required list. Still read labels on sauces and oats.
Suits · Dairy-free
No milk ingredients in the required list.
Watch · Vegetarian
Meat, poultry, fish, or shellfish is in the required list.
Suits · Pregnancy
No alcohol, liver, or caffeine in the required list. Cook meat, eggs, and seafood through.
Suits · Gentle when sick
Mild, not fried, and not a very rich plate. Comfort, not a treatment.
Suits · Kid-friendly
Heat stays mild, and the required list has no alcohol or liver.
Calories by ingredient
Each number is that ingredient’s table calories, split across the servings.
- Dry jasmine rice183 kcal
- Pork tenderloin131 kcal
- Dry split peas55 kcal
- Olive oil27 kcal
- Yellow onion12 kcal
- Garlic3 kcal
Glycemic load
Estimated glycemic load for this count: 35.6. The bands come from the ingredient table.
Portion
One serving, as written, is about 413 kcal.
Allergens. None flagged in the required list.
Make it healthier
Serve three-quarters of the plate
The ingredient mix stays the same. Calories are three-quarters of the counted serving.
About 310 kcal after the change.
Use half the kosher salt and finish with citrus or vinegar.
The same plate with less sodium. This is the kitchen note. A new calorie figure is shown only when the grams can be replayed on the ingredient table.
Low confidence: no new calorie figure. The grams cannot be replayed on the table.
Serve three-quarters of the plate.
The seasoning stays. The calories fall with the portion. This is the kitchen note. A new calorie figure is shown only when the grams can be replayed on the ingredient table.
Low confidence: no new calorie figure. The grams cannot be replayed on the table.
| Nutrient | Amount | % daily value |
|---|---|---|
| Calories | 413 kcal | 21% |
| Protein | 32.7 g | 65% |
| Carbohydrate | 53.3 g | 19% |
| Fiber | 4.7 g | 17% |
| Total sugars | 1.9 g | 4% |
| Fat | 6.7 g | 9% |
| Saturated fat | 1.4 g | 7% |
| Cholesterol | 78 mg | 26% |
| Sodium | 361 mg | 16% |
| Potassium | 739 mg | 16% |
| Calcium | 46 mg | 4% |
| Iron | 4.6 mg | 26% |
| Magnesium | 61 mg | 15% |
| Zinc | 3.5 mg | 32% |
| Vitamin A | 4 mcg | 0% |
| Vitamin C | 4.1 mg | 5% |
| Vitamin D | 0.2 mcg | 1% |
| Vitamin E | 0.8 mg | 5% |
| Vitamin K | 15 mcg | 13% |
| Thiamin (B1) | 1.6 mg | 135% |
| Riboflavin (B2) | 0.5 mg | 38% |
| Niacin (B3) | 10.8 mg | 68% |
| Vitamin B6 | 1.1 mg | 65% |
| Folate | 127 mcg | 32% |
| Vitamin B12 | 0.6 mcg | 25% |
These figures follow the USDA-linked ingredient table where a safe FoodData Central row exists. Optional ingredients are left out. A few pantry items still use Pai's curated numbers because no close USDA row was found. 50 g is the daily value for added sugar. This figure is total sugar, including fruit and milk.
- A serving stays under about 420 calories, so it can sit inside an ordinary day.
- Protein is high enough to make the meal satisfying.
- Sodium stays in a comfortable range.
Pai shares general nutrition information for everyday cooking. It is not medical advice, a diagnosis, or a treatment plan. Health labels are estimates from reference ingredient data and do not account for your lab results, medications, or how a food is absorbed. If you are pregnant, managing diabetes, cholesterol, an allergy, or any illness, use this as a menu of ideas and follow the clinician who knows you. In an emergency, call local emergency services.
Equipment
- Oven
- Sheet pan
- Scale
- Tongs
- Cooling rack
Ingredients
Each line is stored in grams. The second amount is the other system, so a cup measure and the gram weight stay together.
Pork tenderloin3 pieces480 g
Dry jasmine rice1 cup200 g
Dry split peas0.3 cup60 g
Yellow onion1 onion120 g
Ground cumin0.5 tsp2 g
Garlic3 cloves8 g
Scallion2 stalks20 g
Olive oil1 tbsp13.19 ml
Kosher salt0.5 tsp3 g
The first amount follows the unit toggle. The second is the other system. Both follow the serving count.
If you need to swap
- Use half the kosher salt and finish with citrus or vinegar.. The same plate with less sodium.
- Serve three-quarters of the plate.. The seasoning stays. The calories fall with the portion.
Method
AI-generated photo.
1Set out a scale and the equipment for Lechona. Heat to 450°F / 232°C and give it 5 minutes so the surface is actually hot. Weigh pork tenderloin, dry jasmine rice, dry split peas, yellow onion, ground cumin, garlic, scallion, olive oil, kosher salt. Lechona is cooked in Tolima as its own plate, not as a copy of a restaurant menu. Season the pork and rice with cumin and roast them together until the rice is dry and the pork is cooked through. A whole stuffed pig is the feast. Tenderloin and rice are what this pantry weighs. Amounts are for 4 from foods this library can count.
Heat 5 min
AI-generated photo.
2Lechona is cooked in colombia. Cut pieces the same size so the center and the edge finish together.
AI-generated photo.
3Cook the aromatics first, then the main ingredient for Lechona, until the edges take a little color. Roast on the middle rack. The top rack browns before the center cooks.
Build the base
AI-generated photo.
4Add the remaining weighed foods and cook Lechona at 450°F / 232°C. Start checking at 41 minutes. Lechona is done when the outside is browned and the thickest center is cooked through for the protein on the plate. The heat was 450°F / 232°C.
Roast 41 min
- 🇨🇴 ColombiaSouth Americaicon-colombia-lechona-step-4
Lechona, step 5
Step 5 · Lechona
5Check the center of Lechona, not the edge. If the cue is not true yet, give it a few more minutes and look again. Opening a lid or an oven door early drops the heat.
- 🇨🇴 ColombiaSouth Americaicon-colombia-lechona-step-5
Lechona, step 6
Step 6 · Rest 5 min
6Rest Lechona for 5 minutes, then taste and adjust the salt. Serve it in the way it is eaten in colombia, with the sauce or garnish that belongs to it. Film Lechona in this shot order and no other: a skewer pulled from the center; a spoon making a path through the sauce; the table set with the garnish in a small bowl; the lid lifted for one quick look. Slate words for the editor: iris, violet, kettle, blister, shimmer, ivory, windowlight, linen, zephyr, nutmeg.
Rest 5 min
How you know it is done
Lechona is done when the outside is browned and the thickest center is cooked through for the protein on the plate. The heat was 450°F / 232°C.
If it goes wrong
- Lechona looks done at the edge and is still raw in the center. Trust the cue, not the color. Check the thickest piece and give it a few more minutes.
- Lechona turned out salty, dry, or watery. Weigh the salt and the liquid next time. Keep the heat at the temperature in the method, and stop when the doneness cue appears.
Storage
Cool Lechona, then cover and refrigerate for up to 3 days. Freeze portions for a month if the dish reheats in a pot or oven. Reheat leftovers until steaming.
How this dish helps your daily life
- Lechona is one of the plates people ask for by name from Tolima.
- Every ingredient is weighed, so the calorie, protein, and sodium lines come from the table rather than a guess.
Notes
Pregnancy. Cook meat, poultry, eggs, and seafood through. Skip alcohol if a bottle is listed, or cook it until the steam no longer smells of it. There is no raw-fish step.
From the kitchen. Season the pork and rice with cumin and roast them together until the rice is dry and the pork is cooked through. A whole stuffed pig is the feast. Tenderloin and rice are what this pantry weighs.
Allergens in the required list: none flagged.
Your stars and note
Pai shares general nutrition information for everyday cooking. It is not medical advice, a diagnosis, or a treatment plan. Health labels are estimates from reference ingredient data and do not account for your lab results, medications, or how a food is absorbed. If you are pregnant, managing diabetes, cholesterol, an allergy, or any illness, use this as a menu of ideas and follow the clinician who knows you. In an emergency, call local emergency services.