I love lamb koftas with flatbreads and dips but wanted to create a kofta dish with a rich and spicy sauce. By using them in a tagine, they absorb those delicious, warming, Middle Eastern flavours and are the perfect food for a colder day.
I like to use soft dried apricots to add a sweet contrast to the heat of the smoked chilli harissa, but dates or prunes would also work well.
It's lovely served with cous cous or flatbreads (or both if you are my husband!). Refreshing tztatziki (homemade or shop bought) is another great accompaniment, as just like an Indian raita, it's a lovely cool and creamy contrast to the spicing.
If you have any sauce leftover, then it also makes a quick and easy base for a delicious
Shakshuka the next day!
Serves 4-6
For the koftas:
600g lamb mince
2 teaspoons of ground cumin
2 teaspoons of ground coriander
2 large garlic cloves
1 tablespoon of finely chopped fresh mint
Seasoning
For the tagine:
1 - 2 tablespoon of olive oil
1 large onion
1 green pepper (optional)
2 garlic cloves
2 tablespoons of apricot harissa paste
1-2 teaspoons of smoked chilli harissa paste (optional)
1 teaspoon of ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon of ground cumin
1 teaspoon of ground turmeric
250ml lamb or beef stock
400g tin of chopped tomatoes
100g soft dried apricots
90g pitted green olives
To garnish:
Fresh parsley
Toasted flaked almonds
To make the koftas:
- Peel and crush or finely grate the garlic.
- Finely chop the mint.
- Put all of the ingredients into a large bowl and mix well. The best way to do this is using your hands to thoroughly combine the herbs and spices with the lamb mince.
- Roll the kofta into 3-4cm balls and place on a baking tray. Refrigerate.
To make the tagine:
- Peel, quarter and then finely slice the onion.
- De-seed and then cut the pepper (if using) into 1 cm dice.
- Peel the garlic.
- Dice the apricots (I cut each apricot into 6 pieces).
- Heat the olive oil in a casserole dish over a low to medium heat.
- Once the oil is up to temperature, add the sliced onion and pepper. Sauté until the onion is translucent and the pepper has softened.
- Stir in the garlic and spices (and a little more oil if needed) and cook for a further 2-3 minutes, stirring all of the time to avoid the spices burning.
- Pour in the stock, tomatoes, harissa pastes, apricots and seasoning. Stir well to combine.
- Bring to the boil, cover and then reduce the heat and simmer for 10 minutes.
- Carefully place the koftas into the sauce. Cover the casserole and simmer for a further 15 minutes, turning the koftas over in the sauce halfway through.
- 5 minutes before the end of the cooking time, throw the olives into the tagine and then simmer, uncovered, for a further 5 minutes.
- Take off the heat and leave to cool for 5 minutes.
- Garnish with finely chopped parsley and toasted almonds.
