Moroccan Meatball Stew - this is a real feast for the senses; not only incredible flavour, but the heavenly scent of this cooking is worth the effort alone.
Course
Dinner
Cuisine
Moroccan Inspired
Keyword
meatballs, moroccan, stew
Prep Time30minutes
Cook Time2hours
Total Time2hours30minutes
Servings8servings
Calories585kcal
AuthorBarry C. Parsons
Ingredients
For the meatballs
1/2cupbread crumbs
1/4cupmilk
2lbsground lambor beef
1tspdry oregano
1/4tspground nutmeg
1beaten egg
1/2tspsalt
1/2tspblack pepper
2tbspWorcestershire sauce
a little olive oil for frying the meatballs
For braising the meatballs
1diced carrot
1stalk diced celery
4cloveschopped garlic
1diced red onion
6cupsdiced canned tomatoes
3/4cupcurrents
1/2cupraisins
3bay leaves
1tspground coriander
1tspground cardamom
1tspturmeric
2tspground cumin
4tspground cinnamon
1/4tspground cloves
1/2tspground nutmeg
1small red chile minced or 1 tbsp chili paste
2tbspbrown sugar
salt and pepper to season
2cupscooked or canned chickpeasrinsed
1cupolivesoptional
Instructions
To prepare the meatballs
Soak the bread crumbs in the milk for 10 minutes.
Add the ground lamb (or beef), the oregano, nutmeg, beaten egg, salt, pepper and Worcestershire sauce.
Mix well and form into 1 1/2 inch balls. Fry the meatballs in in a olive oil to brown on all sides. Remove meatballs to a covered, oven safe pan.
To the frying pan add the diced carrot, celery, garlic and red onion. Saute together until the onions soften, then add this mixture to the pan with the meatballs along with all the remaining ingredients EXCEPT the chickpeas and olives.
Place in a 350 degree oven, covered for about and hour, then add the chickpeas. Return to the oven for an additional hour at 325 degrees F. In the last 10 minutes of cooking time you can add the olives if you are using them.
Serve over couscous.
Recipe Notes
When adapting this recipe to a slow cooker, proceed as normal but use the slow cooker on low to medium setting for several hours, up to 4 should be fine. Add the chick peas (and optional olives) in the last hour or so.