Todays we have an easy meatball recipe cooked in a tagine. A lot of Moroccan food is cooked in a tagine. Its a special clay pot with a base unit and a top thats shaped like a cone. This special design promotes the return of condensation to the bottom, making the meat very tender and succulent! I made the meatballs using ground turkey, but you can substitute any kind of ground meat that you like. Please give this one a try, its very easy to make and the flavors of this Moroccan food dish will have you craving for more! If you do not have a tagine, you can easily cook this one in a dutch oven or any kind of deep pot with a lid.
Kefta Tagine RecipeINGREDIENTS:Meatballs:
1 lb ground turkey
1 teaspoon of cumin
1 teaspoon of ground ginger
2 teaspoons of paprika
1/2 teaspoon ground red pepper (cayenne or chili)
3 tablespoons fresh parsley, finely chopped
3 tablespoons fresh cilantro, finely chopped
3 tablespoons fresh mint, finely chopped
1/3 cup breadcrumbs
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 egg, lightly beaten
1 onion, minced
salt and pepperto tasteSauce:
1 onion, finely chopped
1 14 ounce jar of peppadews
2 teaspoon paprika
2 teaspoons ground cumin
½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
28 ounce can chopped tomatoes
1 can peas
1 can chick peas
4 teaspoons harissa
1/2 cup chopped cilantro leaves, garnish
DIRECTIONS:
In large bowl, combine turkey, onion, garlic, herbs, spices, breadcrumbs and egg. Mix well and season to taste. Roll tablespoonfuls of mixture into 2 inch balls.
Heat the tagine over low-medium head, add oil and fry the meatballs for about 10 minutes, turning occasionally, until browned all over. Transfer to a bowl.
Add more oil to the tagine and sauté the onion for 5 minutes. Stir in cumin, cinnamon, and paprika and cook for 1 minute until fragrant.
Blend in tomatoes, harissa and peppadews, season with salt and pepper to taste. Allow this to simmer for 10 minutes.
Add the meatballs, peas, and chickpeas to the sauce. Simmer, covered, for 30.
To serve: garnish with cilantro leaves and serve with warm pita bread.
