Cultural background

A tagine, or tajine (a Berber dish named after the pot itself), is a slow-cooked stew that is baked and served in an terra cotta dish with a conical lid. More common to Tunisia, Algeria and Morocco, tagine cooking has also become quite popular in western culture in recent years.

Culinary information

Ingredients:

  • Kefta (meatballs):
  • 500 grams minced lamb or minced beef
  • 4 tablespoons breadcrumbs
  • ½ beaten egg
  • 3 teaspoons of ras el hanout (=Moroccan herbal mixture)
  • 1 teaspoon ground cumin
  • 1 teaspoon paprika
  • 2 tablespoons fresh parsley and fresh cilantro (chopped)
  • pepperand salt to add taste

Sauce

  • 2 onions
  • 4 cloves of garlic
  • knob of butter
  • 1 pack sieved tomatoes and 1 can peeled tomatoes
  • 1 teaspoon turmeric
  • ½ teaspoon cinnamon
  • 2 bay leaves
  • 1-2 tablespoons sugar
  • Pepper and salt
  • ½ red pepper without seeds
  • two eggs

Materials:

  • Bowl 2x
  • Cutting board
  • Knife
  • Spoon
  • Oven dish

Preperation

  1. Wash your hands before you start
  2. Start with the kefta. Put the meat/lamb in a bowl. Add all ingredients and mix it together.
  3. Make meatballs out of the mixture.
  4. Peel the onions and the garlic. Chop it all fine. Melt the butter in a pan or tagine. Add the turmeric and cinnamon.
  5. Add the sieved tomatoes and the peeled tomatoes and mix it together.
  6. All the rest of the ingredients and bring the sauce to a simmer over low heat. Allow the sauce to simmer gently, at least 15 minutes.
  7. Put the meatballs into the sauce. Cover the pan and stew the meatballs over low heat. If the sauce gets to thick, add a splash of water.
  8. Add the eggs to the tagine without breaking the yolks and place the pan into the oven for 5 minutes at 200 C.

Other aspects

  • Always wash your hands if you are going to prepare food.
  • Be careful with sharp knives and hot water.
  • Prepared couscous has to go in the fridge or the freezer within two hours.
  • In the fridge the couscous has a shelf life of two days.

Allergens

  • Contains: egg, gluten
  • May contain: celery