Lamb and Butternut Squash Tagine
from Cook Yourself Thin
This dish is very comforting and satisfying to make as well as eat. It involves little effort from yourself as your hob takes the strain, and allows you to relax while a fabulous dish is being created.
Serves 6 to 8
Ingredients
- 800 g legs of lamb diced into 3 cm chunks
- 1½ tablespoons Olive Oil
- 1 large Onion sliced
- 2 large cloves Garlic crushed
- 1 teaspoon ground Cinnamon
- 1½ teaspoons cumin seeds
- 1 teaspoon ground Ginger
- 2 good pinches Saffron
- 410 g can Chickpeas drained
- 450 ml lamb stock
- 400 g can peeled plum tomatoes
- 200 g Cous cous
- 30 g sunflower seeds
- 25 g pack fresh Coriander roughly chopped
- 15 g fresh Mint roughly chopped
- 550 g Butternut Squash peeled and cut into 2cm chunks
- salt and freshly ground black pepper
Method
- Brown the lamb in batches in a deep non-stick large saucepan over a high heat with a tablespoon of oil, and set aside.
- Add the remaining oil to the pan and fry the sliced onion over a medium heat for 5 minutes until slightly golden, stirring occasionally.
- Add the garlic, cinnamon, cumin seeds, ginger and saffron and stir over the heat for 30 seconds to release the aromas of the spices.
- Add the meat back into the onions with the chickpeas, stock and tomatoes. Bring to the boil and turn down to a gentle boil, cover and cook for 1 hour.
- Meanwhile put the cous cous in a large bowl, and soak in 200ml cold water with the sunflower seeds and a third of the herbs and set aside for the water to be absorbed.
- After 1 hour, add the butternut squash and the remaining herbs, apart from about a tablespoon, and cook for a further 15 minutes uncovered.
- After the 15 minutes has past, season the tagine well.
- Fork through the cous cous to separate the grains and spread evenly over the top of the tagine, cover and simmer for 15 minutes.
- Serve immediately, ensuring some lamb and cous cous with each spoonful, and sprinkle with the remaining herbs.
