Tuesday, 7 November 2017

Madhouse recipe : Meatball & egg tagine (Morocco)


My original plan was to make Chakchouka, which is a very similar one-pan meal using spicy merguez sausages, but when I looked in the freezer and saw some frozen meatballs, I decided to go for another Moroccan classic : kefta & egg tagine. I used shop-bought meatballs for speed, but you could easily make your own from scratch instead.

Meatball & egg tagine

ingredients :

a drizzle of olive oil
a pack of frozen meatballs (or make your own)
1 onion
1 red or green pepper
2 cans of chopped tomatoes
1tbsp tomato puree
salt, pepper
1/2tsp ras el hanout
1 egg per person


Start by cooking the meatballs in the olive oil. When cooked through and nicely browned, remove to a dish and reserve.


In the same pan, cook the onions and peppers. I was serving mine with bulgur pilavi, so I put the onions and peppers in that instead. When they are softened but still retain some crunch, add the chopped tomatoes, tomato puree, salt and pepper and, if using, ras el hanout. (You could use chilli powder or paste instead to give it a little kick.)


Once the sauce has simmered for a few minutes and thickened, drop the meatballs back in. Press them into the sauce but don't completely cover them.


Use a spoon to make little wells in the sauce and crack an egg into each hole.


The heat of the sauce should be enough to cook the eggs, but if they stay a bit too runny for your liking, pop the pan under the grill for a couple of minutes to firm them up.

Serve with crusty bread, couscous or bulgur pilavi. 

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For more Moroccan cuisine, you might also like to try :

4 comments:

  1. Mmm... Mmmm... Mmm... Looks divine I have to try this, and I think my children would love it too as they enjoyed meatballs in school, they are on packed lunches now so I like to make sure they have a warm nutritious teas xXx

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  2. Hi Cheryl, this would fit perfectly in Food on Friday: November under the Egg theme. Hope you bring it on over to share with everybody. Cheers from Carole's Chatter

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  3. Beautiful combination of flavours. I imagine it is wonderful with a big chunk of bread, dipping in all the sauce.

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