I haven’t had much Moroccan food, but I can distinctly remember the first time I had it while we were still living in Brunswick many years back. On Sydney Road sits a small little Spanish/Moroccan restaurant, LaPaella, that sells really delicious Moroccan food and it was from this experience where I drew my inspiration from! I was really lucky to receive an Emile Henry tagine from Kitchenware Superstore, so it was perfect for me to make something Moroccan for dinner!
(photo credits : The Kitchenware Superstore)
The 32cm tagine came in a beautiful dark red and the best thing was it was made using the new flame top tecnologyan innovation in ceramics, with the development of a new glazed clay, exceptionally resistant to heat. So it didn’t even need a flame diffuser if you’re using the stovetop! How good and convenient is that?
It also keeps the food warm for a longer time! So you’ll still get hot food after all the photo taking! haha (: Definitely perfect for me! hehe
I am all for having a balanced meal, so besides the Moroccan meatball, I charred some vegetables, added some okra and also made baba ganoush to go with as a side! This combination, I have to admit, is addictive! hehe You can’t stop having it. I assure you!
So here is the recipe and if you don’t have a tagine, I encourage u to get one, if not, you could always make it in a shallow frying pan. But a tagine is recommended! hehe
Moroccan Meatballs with Baba Ganoush (Recipes adapted from Baltic Maid & David Lebovitz)
For the meatballs :
300g mince pork
300g mince beef
1 small onion, finely chopped
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1 tsp salt
1 tsp ground ginger
1 tsp paprika
1 tsp ground coriander
1 tsp cumin
1/2 tsp cinnamon
2 tbs of olive oil, for frying
For the spicy tomato sauce :
1 can of chopped tinned tomatoes
1/2 cup passata
2 cloves of garlic, finely chopped
1 tsp chilli flakes
1/2 cup of beef stock
1 packet of okra (about 200g)
1 red capsicum
1 yellow capsicum
1 green capsicum
1 tsp salt
For the baba ganoush :
2 medium size eggplant
2 heap tbs tahini
Juice of 1 lemon
2 cloves garlic, peeled and smashed
1/4 tsp chilli power
1 tbs olive oil, and extra to serve
1 tsp salt, or more to season
chopped parsley & chilli flakes, to garnish
Steps :
1) Under a hot grill, grill the capsicums and egg plant till they are tender and charred. Place them in a metal bowl and cover with cling wrap for about 10 mins. The charred skin would peel off easily. Slice the capsicum lengthwise and place in a bowl. Put the grilled eggplants (let whole) aside.
2) Place the tagine on the stove over medium heat. Add the tinned chopped tomatoes, passata, garlic, beef stock and allow it to come to a simmer for 10 mins. Add the okra and cover, allowing the okra to soften (about 10 mins). Add the chilli flakes.
3) Add the sliced roasted capsicum into the sauce and allow it to simmer for another 10 mins. Stirring to make sure the bottom is not sticking. Then switch it off, leaving the cover on.
4) For the meatballs : Add all the ingredients into a large meta bowl and mix till well combined.
5) Form the meatballs according to the size you fancy and place them on a plate. Heat a heavy based frying pan on medium heat then add the olive oil. Brown the meatballs on both sides then add them into the spicy tomato sauce (in the tagine). Cover and allow it to simmer on low heat for 20 minutes.
6) While the meatballs are simmering away, slice the roasted eggplant into half, lengthwise, and scrape all the flesh into a food processor. Add the garlic, tahini, chilli powder and blend till quite smooth. Add the lemon juice, salt and olive oil. Blend till well combined. Place in a bowl, drizzle with more olive oil and garnish with chilli flakes and chopped parsley.
7) Garnish the meatballs with fresh parsley and serve with baba ganoush and warm turkish bread!
Enjoy! (:
Hope you all had a great weekend and here’s to an awesome week ahead! Remember to always cook and bake with love! Till the next post, xx!
Disclaimer : I was given the tagine by Kitchenware Superstore to test and write a review, but all opinions and experience are based on my time of use! Thanks so much for this amazing tagine!
