Lamb and chickpea tagine is a recipe that offers a hint of the exotic while providing a comforting meal.
It’s the hearty combination of beautifully cooked meat, nutty chickpeas and vegetables and spices so typical of North African cuisine that gives this lamb recipe its signature flavour.
You don’t even need a traditional tagine (an earthenware pot with a circular base and a cone-shaped cover) to make it. A slow cooker replicates the hot, moist environment that the tagine is famed for and is perfect for this dish.
You’ll enjoy waiting for this dish as much as eating it, as fragrances from the spices are released during cooking, tantalising your tastebuds and building up your appetite!
What you need for this dish
Lamb is the star of the show here. To ensure your meat is extra tasty and tender, choose meat from a free-range butcher.
Free-range meat offers a host of benefits. It’s raised to high welfare and sustainability standards and is better for you.
Free-range animals are grass-fed, resulting in meat that is less fatty and more abundant in health-boosting vitamins, minerals and fatty acids.
There are no added hormones or antibiotics either, so the meat that reaches your fork is pure, fresh and healthy.
And if you’d also like to offer an alternative version of this dish for those who don’t eat meat, you can increase the chickpea and vegetable content and throw in some white beans for extra protein.
You’ll also notice a range of herbs and spices in this recipe. They’re the staple of this type of cuisine, with the cumin and paprika, in particular, adding an authentic North African touch.
Chickpeas, another typical ingredient from the region, add a hearty source of protein to this dish.
You’ll also need to add a splash of the Mediterranean with the addition of olive oil, garlic and green olives.
Side dishes to die for!
It’s easy to find side dishes for our tagine recipe. Just remember to keep them simple without overwhelming flavours, as you’ll get a spicy hit from the main dish.
We suggest:
- Green beans roasted in olive oil. Simply pre-cook the beans for 2 minutes, then roast with olive oil drizzled over for 15-20 minutes. Add lemon wedges and a sprinkling of sea salt for the finishing touches
- Easy rainbow salad. The clue’s in the name. Select as many different coloured vegetables as you can find, cut them into small cubes and add some freshly chopped coriander to garnish. Capsicums, carrots, tomatoes, red cabbage and sweetcorn are your perfect ingredients
- Tomato and mozzarella salad. Simply serve sliced tomatoes and mozzarella cheese garnished with basil leaves for a fresh-tasting salad
A delicious, hearty dish full of flavour and aroma that will delight all the family.
Ingredients
- 2 x 4 Cutlet lamb racks (excess fat trimmed)
- 1/3 cup Natural yoghurt (plus extra, to serve)
- 2 tablespoon Tandoori paste
- 400 gram Baby chat potatoes (halved)
- 1 tablespoon Olive oil
- 1 Brown onion (thinly sliced)
- 2 clove Garlic (finely chopped)
- 1 Green chilli (deseeded, thinly sliced)
- 1 teaspoon Ground cumin
- 1/2 teaspoon Coriander seeds
- 1/2 teaspoon Brown mustard seeds
- 1/4 teaspoon Turmeric
To serve
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 200°C (180° fan-forced). In a small bowl combine yogurt and tandoori paste. Place lamb racks in the centre of a baking tray lined with baking paper. Spoon tandoori yoghurt over the lamb racks and season. Cook lamb racks for 25-30 minutes or until cooked to your liking. Remove from oven, place on a plate loosely covered with foil and rest for 5 minutes.
- Meanwhile, place potatoes in a large saucepan, cover with water and bring to a simmer over medium heat. Cook for 8-10 minutes or until just tender. Drain.
- Heat oil in a large non-stick frying pan over medium heat. Add onions, a pinch of sea salt and cook for 10 minutes or until lightly golden. Add garlic, chilli and spices, stir well to coat and cook for 1-2 minutes until fragrant. Add potatoes and 2/3 cup of water, reduce heat to medium-low, cover and cook for 5 minutes until warmed through. Season.
- Slice lamb racks into individual cutlets and serve with potatoes, tomato and cucumber salad, chutney, extra yogurt and mint sprigs.
Notes
- Lamb rump, leg steaks or cutlets would also work well in this recipe.
- Swap the tandoori paste for any other Indian curry paste of your choice.
- Make sure you rest the lamb to maximise tenderness and lock in the juices – for 4-cutlet racks rest for 5 minutes.
Source lamb from your local free range butcher in Melbourne
You’ll want to choose the freshest and best free-range lamb for this delicious recipe. Check out our selection at Church Street Butcher, where we offer free-range lamb from Victoria, as well as chicken, pork and beef too!
Call in and see us for sustainable, ethical, great-tasting meat, or take advantage of our home delivery service for the ultimate in convenience.
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