Try Exotic Recipes: Lamb and Butternut Squash Tagine

Tagine dishes were found in the North African states like Morocco, Algeria, and Tunisia, named by the pot in which were cooked.  Lamb and butternut squash tagine is a dish with 371 calories per serving.  This recipe allows you to cook comfortable and relax while drinking a glass of wine.

Serves: 6-8.

Cooking time: about 2 hours.

Ingredients

800 g leg of lamb - in pieces of 3 cm pieces

410 g tin chickpeas, drained

400 g tin plum tomatoes

30 g sunflower seeds

200 g couscous

550 g butternut squash, peeled - in 2.5 cm chunks

1  1/2 tablespoons of olive oil

1 large onion, sliced

2 large cloves of garlic - peeled and crushed

2 good pinches of saffron

2 handfuls of roughly chopped coriander

1 handful of roughly chopped mint

Salt

Ground black pepper

1 teaspoon of ground cinnamon

1  1/2 teaspoons of cumin seeds

1 teaspoon of ground ginger

450 ml lamb stock

Instructions

Take a large, deep non-stick frying pan and brown the lamb in batches over a high heat with one tablespoon of the olive oil.

Deglaze the pan between frying each batch by adding a bit of water.  Don’t throw away the liquid – put it aside because it brings more flavor to the final dish.

With the rest of the olive oil fry the onion over a medium heat.  After 5 minutes it should be all done and slightly golden.  You have to stir occasionally.  Then add the cinnamon, garlic, cumin seeds, saffron, and ginger.  Stir some more for 30 seconds.  This way you’ll release the aromas of the spices.  Add the meat along with the tomatoes and stock.  Bring to the boil, turn down to a gentle simmer, and cover it.  Let it cook for an hour.

While you wait take a large bowl and put the couscous.  Add a third of the herbs and the sunflower seeds.  Cover them with 200 ml cold water and set it aside to absorb.

After an hour add the butternut squash along with the remaining herbs (but leave aside about a tablespoon) to the tagine.  Let it cook for another 15 minutes uncovered and then season it well.

Fork through the couscous to separate those grains and spread evenly over the tagine.  Next cover and simmer for another 15 minutes.

These being done, you can serve it right away.  If you weren’t hungry before reading this recipe, I bet you are now.