Spice Up Your Family Meals with the Moroccan Meatball Tagine

A tagine is a popular Moroccan stew dish featuring meatballs slow braised in a hot sour tomato sauce with black olives. Moroccan meatballs are usually shaped in petite round balls - usually from seasoned ground beef or lamb. If you do not have either, you can easily replace it with turkey or chicken.

There is a Moroccan tradition behind this dish where everyone gathers around the tagine and eat communally from the dish. Accompany it with pieces of Moroccan flatbread to easily scoop the meatballs and sauce. This dish is perfect for family meals and informal dining.

Ingredients: 

• Meatballs (kefta) 500g finely ground lean lamb
• 1 red onion finely chopped
• 2 tablespoons fresh bread crumbs
• 1 egg
• 1 x 4cm piece root ginger, peeled and finely chopped
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin
• 2 tablespoons chopped parsley
• 2 tablespoons chopped mint
• ½ teaspoon black pepper
• ½ teaspoon salt
• 1 tablespoon olive oil

Sauce ingredients:

• 1 red onion sliced
• 2 teaspoons paprika
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin
• 2 teaspoons Harissa paste
• 400g can chopped tomatoes
• 75g black Kalamata olives (stoned)
• 200ml lamb stock
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 tablespoon fresh chopped parsley
• 1 tablespoon fresh chopped mint

Method:

To make the meatballs

1. Combine all the meatball ingredients together in a bowl, mix well using a large silicone spatula to make a paste.

2. Take a small amount of paste at a time and shape into 2-3cm (1inch) in diameter balls with your hands. Place the balls onto a tray.

3. Heat the Tagine base with one tablespoon of the olive oil over medium heat.

4. Fry the meatballs in batches until browned all over. Place into a dish or tray and set to one side.

To make the sauce

1. Add one tablespoon of the olive oil to the Tagine base and continue to heat.

2. Add the onion and fry for 1-2 minutes until softened.

3. Stir in the paprika, cumin and Harissa paste followed by the chopped tomatoes, olives and lamb stock. Stir well and simmer for 5 minutes.

To complete the dish

1. Add the browned meatballs to the sauce in the Tagine base, stir and place the conical lid on. Reduce the heat to its very lowest setting and cook for 50 minutes-1 hour.

2. Finish by stirring in the fresh herbs.

3. Serve with couscous and matlouh (Moroccan flatbreads).

Recipe source: Le Creuset