This Fruity Lamb Tagine with apricots is very easy and a simple and quick version of a traditional North African dish. Don't worry, you won't need a tagine pot, you can cook this recipe in a pan.
A traditional lamb tagine is cooked for hours on a low heat. This version however, is cooked much quicker because we are using lamb mince so don't need the slow cooking. I still use some of the traditional spices and dried apricots which go beautifully with the lamb, but this tagine recipe is about a tasty dish in minimal time, rather than tradition.
A Fairtrade Tagine
Many of the ingredients for this fruity lamb tagine can be bought Fairtrade. The tumeric, ground cumin, dried apricots and chickpeas are all available as Fairtrade as well as the couscous and lemons. Fairtrade is a global movement. It works to make a difference in the lives of the farmers who produce our food and ensures they are paid a fair price. As well as this, the Fairtrade movement works hard to tackle climate change and promote sustainable farming practices. Check out my most popular Fairtrade recipes.
Other Fairtrade recipes you might like
People Ask...
A Tagine is a traditional stew like dish from Morocco that is slow cooked in a tagine pot. The stew is made with native African spices such as tumeric, cinnamon, saffron, ginger and cumin. It can also contain nuts or dried fruits such as apricots as well as herbs. A lamb tagine is probably the most common, but you can cook a tagine with any meat or even fish.
As well as the actual name of the dish, a Tagine is also the name of the Moroccan cooking pot the dish is traditionally made in. The pot has a round base, low sides and a cone shaped lid that you put over the base during cooking. The cone shaped lid is so that all the flavours that go up in the steam when the tagine is being cooked, fall back down and into the dish adding to the flavour. Whilst a traditional cooking pot is nice, you don't need one in order to make a tagine. A pan with a lid that fits will do just fine and this is what I use.
You can cook a tagine in the oven or on a hob / stove top. Traditionally they are cooked over large bricks of charcoal that stay hot for hours. The reason for cooking a tagine in an oven is so that you can cook it slowly over a longer period of time. Cooking for a long time on a stove top usually results in the stew burning or sticking to the bottom of the pan. This recipe is not a slow cook tagine so we are cooking it on the hob.
Sustainability
A tagine is a tasty way of using up any leftover lamb, just put it through a food processor to turn it into mince. You can of course use fresh lamb mince. Remember if you are using leftover lamb you should only re-heat it once. Another great dish for using up leftover lamb is Lamb Meatballs with Fruity Couscous and Tzatziki
Serving Suggestion
Couscous originates from North Africa as does tagine and is I think the best accompaniment. I like to cook the couscous with some lemon juice to add some flavour. The acidity from the lemon juice contrasts nicely with the fattiness of the lamb.
How to make it
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- Add the oil to a large pan with a lid and fry the onion and mince over a medium heat until browned.
- Add the cumin, tumeric and coriander and fry for 2 - 3 minutes.
- Pour over the lamb stock, bring it to a boil then reduce the heat and cook for 15 minutes.
- Put the couscous in a heat proof bowl, add the lemon zest and juice together with the stock. Cover the bowl with a tight fitting lid or upturned plate and leave it for 5 minutes. Uncover the bowl and fluff the couscous up with a fork and stir through the mint.
- Add the drained chickpeas and dried apricots to the tagine and simmer for 5 minutes. then serve with the couscous
Storing Tagine
You can keep this dish in the fridge for 2 -3 days. The actual tagine can be frozen for 3 - 4 months. Couscous is best eaten fresh, but you can freeze it for 3 - 4 months. Lay the couscous out on a tray and freeze flat for a few hours. When it is frozen, break up the grains and tip into an airtight container. To defrost couscous, put it in a dish in the microwave and add a few spoons of water. Alternatively, heat some oil and a couple of tablespoons of water in a saucepan. Add the couscous and heat it until it has absorbed the water. Fluff up the grains with a fork. When reheating any meat dish, make sure it is piping hot all the way through.
Fruity Lamb Tagine with Apricots
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoon sunflower oil organic, fairtrade
- 1 onion organic, peeled and chopped
- 500 g lamb mince
- 1 tablespoon ground cumin organic, fairtrade
- 1 teaspoon ground tumeric organic, fairtrade
- 1 teaspoon ground coriander organic,
- 300 ml lamb stock organic, or vegetable stock
- 75 g dried apricots organic, fairtrade, chopped
- 240 g chickpeas organic, drained weight
Lemon and Mint Couscous
- 250 g couscous organic, fairtrade
- 2 lemons organic, fairtrade, juice and zest of
- 450 ml vegetable stock organic
- 4 tablespoon fresh mint organic, chopped
Instructions
- Add the oil to a large pan with a lid and fry the onion and mince over a medium heat until browned.
- Add the cumin, tumeric and coriander and fry for 2 - 3 minutes.
- Add the lamb stock, bring it to a boil then reduce the heat and cook for 15 minutes.
- Put the couscous in a heat proof bowl, add the lemon zest and juice together with the stock. Cover the bowl with a tight fitting lid or upturned plate and leave it for 5 minutes. Uncover the bowl and fluff the couscous up with a fork and stir through the mint.
- Add the drained chickpeas and apricots to the tagine and simmer for 5 minutes. then serve with the couscous
Notes
Serving Suggestion
Couscous originates from North Africa as does tagine and is I think the best accompaniment. I like to cook the couscous with some lemon juice to add some flavour. The acidity from the lemon juice contrasts nicely with the fattiness of the lamb.Storage
You can keep this dish in the fridge for 2 -3 days. The actual tagine can be frozen for 3 - 4 months. Couscous is best eaten fresh, but you can freeze it for 3 - 4 months. Lay the couscous out on a tray and freeze flat for a few hours. When it is frozen, break up the grains and tip into an airtight container. To defrost couscous, put it in a dish in the microwave and add a few spoons of water. Alternatively, heat some oil and a couple of tablespoons of water in a saucepan. Add the couscous and heat it until it has absorbed the water. Fluff up the grains with a fork. When reheating any meat dish, make sure it is piping hot all the way through.Nutrition per serving
The Nutritional Values are computer generated estimates based on industry standards and are provided as a helpful guide only.
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