Moroccan Lamb and Prune Casserole

Serves 4-6

This is a delicious winter dish to warm the cockles of your heart. It is mildly spiced with North African flavours and the slow cooking tenderizes otherwise tough meat. Make this casserole in the afternoon and leave to slowly cook or use a crock pot to gently cook for 4-6 hours for super tender meat. 

Prep time: 20 minutes
Unattended cook time: 1 1/2 hours +
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 1 medium onion, chopped
  • 2 cloves garlic, chopped
  • 1 teaspoon paprika
  • 1 teaspoon ground cumin
  • 1 teaspoon ground coriander
  • 1 teaspoon cinnamon
  • pinch of cayenne to taste
  • 1/2 cup pitted prunes or figs, roughly chopped
  • 500 g stewing lamb, cut into 2 cm chunks
  • 400 g can chopped tomatoes
  • 1 cup water or diluted stock
  • 2 large potatoes, 1-2 cm dice
  • 2 carrots, 1-2 cm dice
  • 1 cup pumpkin, 1-2 cm dice
  • 1 cup peas, fresh or frozen
  • Salt and pepper to season

Heat the oil in a large heavy based sauce pan or casserole dish over a moderate heat. Gently sauté the onions for a few minutes. Add the garlic, spices, prunes or figs and lamb sautéing briefly to coat the lamb in the spices. Pour in the tomatoes and water/stock. Cover with a tight fitting lid and bring to a boil. Turn down the heat and simmer for 30 minutes.

Add the potatoes, carrots and pumpkin simmer for a further hour until the meat is soft and tender. Alternatively cook in a preheated 160 C oven.

Add the peas for the last 10 minutes and adjust seasoning. Serve with seasonal vegetables and couscous or rice to soak up the rich sauce.

Slow-cooker variation - sauté the onions, meat and spices and tip into a pre-warmed slow-cooker. Add the tomatoes and stock and cook for 2-3 hours, then add the vegetables for the last few hours and peas shortly before serving.

Note: only add salt at the end to taste as it can toughen the meat while cooking.

Couscous

Purchase instant couscous which requires no cooking. To make couscous follow the instructions on the packet or cover 1 cup couscous with 1 1/2 cups boiling water or hot stock. Cover with a plate and sit for 10 minutes to steam and absorb the water. Add 1 tablespoon of butter or olive oil and fluff with a fork. Garnish with chopped coriander.