Spicy Kefta Tagine with Preserved Lemons! Moroccan one-pot cooking.

ground lamb

🥗Healthier: ground turkey

💰Cheaper: ground beef

Ground turkey reduces fat while maintaining flavor.

preserved lemons

🥗Healthier: fresh lemons

💰Cheaper: lemon zest

Fresh lemons offer acidity but lack the unique flavor of preserved.

tomato sauce

🥗Healthier: crushed tomatoes

💰Cheaper: canned tomatoes

Crushed tomatoes provide freshness with lower cost.

olive oil

🥗Healthier: avocado oil

💰Cheaper: vegetable oil

Avocado oil has similar properties with a milder flavor.

Introduce the dish and explain what a tagine is.

Gather spices: 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon, 1 teaspoon ground coriander, 1/2 teaspoon Aleppo pepper, 1 teaspoon ground cumin, salt and pepper to taste.

Prepare 2 pounds of ground beef or lamb.

Finely chop or grate 1 large onion.

Chop a small bunch of fresh flat leaf parsley very fine.

Mix ground beef with spices, onion, and parsley using gloves.

Shape mixture into golf size meatballs using an ice cream scoop.

Cover the kefta and refrigerate until ready to cook.

In a tagine, heat 1 tablespoon of butter and 1 tablespoon of olive oil.

Add roughly chopped onion and cook until soft.

Add minced garlic, minced chili pepper, and grated ginger to the onions.

Stir in 2 teaspoons of ground turmeric, a dash of salt, and black pepper.

Cook for 3-5 minutes until fragrant.

Add 1 tablespoon of harissa paste and half of the fresh herbs.

Pour in 2 cups of water (or substitute with chicken stock or beef broth) and cover the tagine to simmer for 10 minutes.

Drop the keftas into the sauce, ensuring they are covered.

Cover and simmer for an additional 15 minutes.

Add the juice of 1 lemon and the sliced preserved lemons, then simmer for another 10 minutes.

Adjust the sauce consistency with more liquid if desired for serving with rice.

Serve the kefta around aged basmati rice, garnished with preserved lemons and fresh herbs.

Cooking Techniques

Equipment Needed

Spice Level: