Lamb Tajine With Dates

Lamb tajine, is curry or stew the North African way. The curry is named after the pot with lid the shape of a cone. If you have never had one before, and spices are your thing, this will be an excellent place to start.

Lamb tajine cooked in the beautiful Moroccan pot, tajine. The result is a spicy sauce with lamb so juicy and tender.

The pot is a beautiful pot used in North African and the Middle East. Round base (or pot) with a cone-like lid designed that way, to help transfer the moisture that evaporates to the top back to the pot. And the process continues throughout the cooking. You do not need one of this though, to cook a typical tajine as you can get the same effect from a dutch pot.

The already marinated lamb seared in the pot, and broth and tomato sauce added, bring to a boil and simmer for hours. Do not let the cooking time discourage you, as most of the time, you do nothing, just let it cook.

TagineTajine, a beautiful pot with a dome-shaped lid. The stew is also called tajine

What Do You Eat With Lamb Tajines?

This stew is very versatile. So use your lamb tajine with anything you fancy. I prefer it on  a bed of rice or I dip my bread in it. Try it with roasted potatoes instead of gravy. It won't hurt to change things a little bit sometimes.

What Is The Best Meat Cut For Tajines?

If you like them juicy, then go for the shoulder always with bone-in for extra flavour. For this recipe, though, I am using lamb loins with boin-in. That is what I got in my grocery shop today and it was excellent.

Lamb Tajine

Servings: 6

Prep Time: 40min

Cooking Time: 40min

Ingredients

  • 1 kg lamb loin chops
  • 1 large sweet potato skin peeled and cut in bite-size chunks
  • 1 large onion, chopped
  • 1 tablespoon minced ginger root
  • 6 garlic cloves, crushed
  • 3 tablespoons olive oil
  • 2 inches cinnamon stick
  • 2 teaspoon ground paprika
  • 2 teaspoon ground turmeric
  • 1 teaspoon of ground cumin
  • 1/2 teaspoon cardamon seed
  • 1/2 teaspoon coriander seed
  • 1/2 teaspoon cloves
  • 1 cup dates
  • 1 14 oz can tomato sauce
  • 500mls of chicken stock
  • salt to taste

Method

Toast the cardamom seed, cloves and coriander seeds in a dry skillet on the stove, for about three minutes. Allow to cool and pound in a mortar until crushed. Check this post on why toast spices.

Combine with other spices in a single bowl. It is very efficient to measure out all ingredients before you commence cooking. Divide spices in two, using half to marinade the lamb with some salt half the crushed garlic and half the minced ginger, with a tablespoon of the olive for at least two hours or overnight. Use the other half for cooking later.

Heat your dutch oven or tagine (a slow cooker works the same as tajine earthenware). The only thing with the slow cooker option is, I do step 4 below, on the stovetop in a skillet.

Pour in the oil and sear the lamb until brown on all sides. 12-15 minutes.

Stir in the onion. 3-4 minutes.

Stir in the spices including the remaining crushed garlic and minced ginger. 2-3 minutes, beautiful aroma.

Add the sweet potato and dates.

Pour in the tomato sauce and the stock then, bring to a boil on medium heat with the lid on. Then, reduce to simmer for two hours or until lamb is cooked to tender.

Recipe provided by www.AfricanFoods.co.uk

Lamb tajine on a bed of rice

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