Enjoy a stress-free comfort meal with loads of flavour
Enjoy this 30 min easy Moroccan lamb stew with chickpeas.
- SERVES: 6
- PREP TIME: 15 mins + marinate overnight or at least 30 mins in the fridge
- COOK TIME: 30 mins
- DIFFICULTY: pretty easy
Easy Moroccan lamb stew with chickpeas
I came across this recipe recently when I was looking for a tasty midweek meal.
But with lots of delicious flavours.
And Biffin’s Kitchen – ‘Surf-Inspired Street Food’ is the tag line.
So how could I not take a look at this, my husband is a surfer!
And we love North Devon and Croyde which is where you’ll find this surf-inspired street food this summer.
So, apart from being a surfer, this dish is brilliant because you get all the lovely Moroccan flavours.
But you don’t have to wait around for 3 hrs while you slow-cook it in a tagine.
Moroccan lamb tagine
Now don’t get me wrong, I love slow-cooking.
It’s SO simple, very hands-off.
And rewards your wait with the most incredible flavours to form.
Here are two of my favourite tagine recipes to try:
But sometimes, you want to have a great dish during the week but you don’t have the time for slow-cooking.
And this is why this little recipe is fab.
You can also cheat a little more to save time.
By using Ras el Hanout spice instead of finding all the spices separately.
What is Ras el Hanout
It’s a very handy spice mix, found in various forms in Tunisia, Algeria, and Morocco.
Ras el hanout (Arabic) means “head of the shop”.
Which is meant to describe the very best spices in a spice shop.
Ras el hanout is a complex, aromatic spice blend.
And most recipes include cardamom, nutmeg, anise, mace, cinnamon, ginger, various peppers, paprika, and turmeric.
But this spice blend can contain as few as 10 ingredients and as many as 80 spices.
Taste
Ras el Hanout is woody, pungent, and bitter.
But it’s also sweet because of the nutmeg, cinnamon, and cloves.
And it’s not spicy like you might think – just warm.
Because of its strong flavours, it makes a great marinade or spice rub for meats, and it’s traditionally used in tajines and stews
Substitute
This is far off the real deal but passable…
- cumin – 1 part
- coriander – 1/2 part
- ginger powder – 1/2 part
- cayenne (or paprika if you like it milder) – 1/2 part
Or try Baharat and then lastly Garam masala (but this is at a push).
Lamb neck fillet
Lamb neck is an incredibly underrated and inexpensive cut of lamb.
It is a tough cut that can be great for long, slow cooking.
And can be bought on the bone, or off the bone as a neck fillet.
Lamb neck fillet can be cooked slowly on low heat.
But unlike lamb shoulder, it can also be cooked like a steak.
And cooked quickly over high heat until pink.
Plus, this cut goes well with a whole load of flavours.
So, is perfect to marinade with Moroccan spices.
This is why this easy Moroccan lamb stew with chickpeas is the perfect recipe.
Sure, you can leave it longer to tenderise even more.
But it’s perfectly delicious as a 30 mins meal.
Enjoy.