Lamb Tagine – Food for the Bold Soul

I first had tagine in Marrakech, Morocco several years ago, and I fell in love with the dish. There are many tagine recipes, but I have fallen in love with this one. You don’t need a traditional tagine pot to make this dish, but I love using it because it takes me back to Morocco.

Ingredients

3 tablespoons olive oil, divided
2 pounds lamb meat, cut into 1 1/2 inch cubes
2 teaspoons paprika
¼ teaspoon ground turmeric
½ teaspoon ground cumin
¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
¼ teaspoon ground cloves
½ teaspoon ground cardamom
1 teaspoon kosher salt
½ teaspoon ground ginger
1 pinch saffron
¾ teaspoon garlic powder
¾ teaspoon ground coriander
2 medium onions, cut into 1-inch cubes
5 medium (blank)s carrots, peeled, cut into fourths, then sliced lengthwise into thin strips
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 tablespoon freshly grated ginger
1 lemon, zested
1 (14.5 ounce) can homemade chicken broth or low-sodium canned broth
1 tablespoon sun-dried tomato paste
1 tablespoon honey
1 tablespoon cornstarch
1 tablespoon water

Directions

Step 1

Place diced lamb in a bowl, toss with 2 tablespoons of the olive oil, and set aside. In a large resealable bag, toss together the paprika, turmeric, cumin, cayenne, cinnamon, cloves, cardamom, salt, ginger, saffron, garlic powder, and coriander; mix well. Add the lamb to the bag, and toss around to coat well. Refrigerate at least 8 hours, preferably overnight.

Step 2

Heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil in a large, heavy bottomed pot over medium-high heat. Add 1/3 of the lamb, and brown well. Remove to a plate, and repeat with remaining lamb. Add onions and carrots to the pot and cook for 5 minutes. Stir in the fresh garlic and ginger; continue cooking for an additional 5 minutes. Return the lamb to the pot and stir in the lemon zest, chicken broth, tomato paste, and honey. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to low, cover, and simmer for 1 1/2 to 2 hours, stirring occasionally, until the meat is tender.