About the Recipe
A tagine technically just refers to the plate this dish is served in and is simply a stew.
That being said, the most recognisable version of this stew is the lamb stew with all its amazing flavours and balance of sweet, savoury and tart notes.
Ingredients
2 tablespoons olive oil
400-600g of lamb (ideally pre-diced if you want to avoid dicing it yourself but I have made this dish with lamb shoulder and it was just as good if not better, it does mean that the pieces of meat will vary in size)
1-2 onions depending on size; roughly chopped
2 large carrots; also roughly chopped
2-3 garlic cloves; also roughly chopped
400g can tomatoes
400g can chickpea (not the liquid)
200g dried apricot
1 chicken stock pot/cube
130g pomegranate (around 1 to maybe 1 and a half if it's small)
Spice blend
4-6 Cardamom pods
Pinch of cinnamon
3-4 cloves
Pinch of coriander
Cumin
Nutmeg
Turmeric
Black pepper
You will probably need a pestle and mortar for this if you do not have the spice blend.
You can also make it without a pestle and mortar but will require a bit of awareness when eating.
Preparation
Prepare the ingredients: if your lamb is not diced, then dice it. Roughly chop all the rest of the ingredients.
Initial frying: fry the lamb in a large pot until brown on all sides. Remove and add the onions and carrots. After 2-3 minutes add the garlic and tomato paste.
Make the stew: stir in the spices (either prepared in a pestle and mortar or just as is), return the lamb and add the chickpeas, tomato can and stockpot. Add enough water to ensure the lamb is submerged.
Cook the stew: with regards to cooking the stew you have options. Either you can leave it cook on the stovetop for around 1 h or put it into the oven for 1h at 180C. It is done once it is tender or up to your desired level of tenderness.
To serve: add a knob of butter to your rice and serve with a helping of pomegranate.