Kefta Tagine
Last Updated: 2022-03-21
6 SERVINGS EASY 530 CAL ENTRÉE 60 MIN (10 MIN PREP + 50 MIN COOK TIME)
You can’t consider yourself a true fan of Moroccan cuisine until you buy a tagine in Morocco and spend half the night trying to figure out how to fit it into your suitcase before heading home.
I bought mine in Meknes at a ceramic products store. I asked an older lady who was shopping there to help me find a good tagine. Wrinkling her brow in concentration, she rapped her knuckles on one of the nearby circular bases and listened carefully to the chime. She did the same with the cone-shaped cover. This process repeated itself for the next few minutes until she finally settled on the set with the sweetest tone.
In honor of this Moroccan culinary icon, we dedicate today’s post to kefta tagine. First, though, we need to clarify one important point: there are people who wouldn’t dare make a tagine recipe because they do not have one at home. Although it won’t perfectly replicate the flavor, you can still make this recipe in a large pot or pan, as long as you make sure not to move the ingredients around very much.
Let’s get started!
Ingredients
2 pounds (1 kilo) of kefta meat (see instructions below)
4 eggs
1 onion
4 tomatoes
2 cloves of garlic
1 teaspoon of black pepper
1.5 teaspoons of powdered cumin
1/2 teaspoon of powdered ginger
1 teaspoon of paprika
1 handful of chopped parsley
Salt and olive oil
Directions
1 Use the recipe here to prepare the kefta meat. Let it rest for a few minutes, then shape into balls (preferably small, since they take on more flavor and are easier to eat).
2 For the sauce, cover the bottom of the tagine with oil. Next, add the chopped onion and garlic and cook over medium heat until soft and set aside.
3 Pour the chopped tomato into a container, use a stirrer to crush it until you get a sauce-like texture and add it to the tagine. Return to medium heat and after 10 minutes add all the spices (pepper, cumin, ginger, paprika and salt), cooking for another 10 minutes.
4 Carefully place the kefta balls in the tagine over low heat, and cover for 10 minutes. Turn them over trying not to break them, and cook for another 10 minutes.
These instructions should be enough, although I suggest an additional step: crack an egg over the meatballs when they’re ready and cook on very low heat. The flavor and texture of the egg takes this dish to another level in my humble opinion.
Now, sit down and enjoy a plateful with a nice piece of bread. Much love to all and see you in the next post!
If you want to learn more check out our page on Moroccan dishes.
