A Moroccan dish for celebrating

lamb shoulder

🥗Healthier: chicken thighs

💰Cheaper: beef chuck

Chicken is lower in fat, while beef is often less expensive.

prunes

🥗Healthier: dried apricots

💰Cheaper: raisins

Dried apricots offer a similar sweetness, while raisins are widely available.

chicken broth

🥗Healthier: vegetable broth

💰Cheaper: water + seasoning

Vegetable broth is lighter, and homemade seasoning can save costs.

almonds

🥗Healthier: walnuts

💰Cheaper: sunflower seeds

Walnuts provide healthy fats, while sunflower seeds are budget-friendly.

Chop 2 onions into a small dice.

Add a small pinch of saffron to some boiling water and let it dissolve to make liquid saffron.

Strip leaves from the parsley stalks and mince them finely.

Heat a large pot over high heat and add olive oil.

Add lamb leg cubes in batches to the pot and sear until browned on all sides, then pile into the pot.

Add the chopped onions and minced garlic to the pot.

Season with salt, turmeric, black pepper, ground ginger, dried coriander, and cumin; toss to combine.

Deglaze the pot with the saffron liquid and some more water, scraping any brown bits from the bottom.

Bring to a light boil, then add finely chopped parsley and cover with a tight-fitting lid.

Reduce heat to low and cook for about 1.5 hours until the meat is fall-off-the-bone tender, checking occasionally with a fork.

Toast white sesame seeds in a dry pot over medium heat, mixing until golden brown, then cool.

Fry blanched almonds in oil over medium heat until light golden, then drain on paper towels.

Wash long grain rice in a strainer until the water runs clear, then add to a pot with melted butter and fry for a couple of minutes.

Season rice with salt and black pepper, then add enough water or stock to cover by about 1.5 centimeters, and bring to a boil.

Cover and let boil until the water disappears below the rice, then turn down to low and steam for 20 minutes.

Extract about 1/2 cup of spiced broth from the tagine; dilute with water if needed.

Slice about half of the prunes into quarters for easier distribution.

Add the prunes to a saucepan with the spiced broth and enough water to cover, then boil for about 10 minutes.

Add sugar and cinnamon to the prunes, mixing gently, then fold in a piece of butter until melted.

Transfer the cooked tagine to a serving dish, mix in some sliced prunes, and top with whole prunes, fried almonds, and toasted sesame seeds.

Garnish with chopped parsley before serving.

Cooking Techniques

Equipment Needed

Spice Level:

Allergens