Hearty and flavoursome, this Moroccan stew recipe combines the goodness of tender lamb, aromatic spices, sweet apricots and vegetables — gently simmered over two hours. Don’t fret if you don’t have a tagine/tajine – this dish can also be prepared in a dutch oven or casserole!
What you’ll need
- 2 tsp ground black pepper
- 2 tbsp paprika
- 1 tbsp ground tumeric
- 1 tbsp ground cinnamon
- 2 tbsp ground ginger
- 1 kg lamb shoulder, cut into 2-inch chunks
- 2 large onions, thinly sliced
- 1 carrot, cut in chunks
- 4 tbsps olive oil
- 3 cloves garlic, crushed
- 600ml lamb, chicken or vegetable stock
- 200g tinned chopped tomatoes with juice
- 100g dried apricots, halved
- 60g sliced almonds
- 1 tsp saffron
- 1 small bunch of coriander, roughly chopped
- 1 small bunch of flat leaf parsley, roughly chopped
How to make it
- Place black pepper, paprika, ginger, turmeric and cinnamon into a small bowl and mix to combine.
- Place the lamb in a ziplock bag and toss together with the spice mix. Marinate overnight or at least 6 hours in the fridge.
- Heat olive oil. Add the sliced onions and carrots and cook over a gentle heat for 20 minutes so that the onions are soft but not coloured.
- Add lamb and lightly brown. Add garlic. saute together for 3 minutes.
- Add the chopped tomatoes, apricots, flaked almonds, saffron, and stock. Bring to the boil, cover with lid, and cook on low heat for 2 hours or until the meat is soft and tender.
- Sprinkle over chopped herbs and serve.
Notes:
- If you don’t have a tagine, this dish can also be made in a casserole or dutch oven.
- In addition to the above spices, you can try adding ground coriander, cayenne pepper, ground cardamom and cumin too.
- In addition to apricots, you can also include other dried fruits such as raisins and prunes.
- This dish goes lovely with the batbout – a moroccan pita bread, as well as a zesty Moroccan salad.