Moroccan Tagine with Carrots, Potatoes, and Chickpeas Recipe

Ingredients

• 1 to 1 1/2 pounds (500 to 700 grams) beef, lamb or goat meat, cut into 2- or 3-inch pieces
• 2 medium onions, chopped or sliced
• 3 cloves garlic, finely chopped or pressed
• 1/4 cup finely chopped cilantro, plus more as needed for garnish
• 1/4 cup finely chopped parsley, optional, plus more for garnish
• 1 1/2 teaspoons ground ginger
• 1 teaspoon salt, or to taste
• 1 teaspoon turmeric
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon, or 1 cinnamon stick
• 1 pinch saffron threads, crumbled, optional
• Cayenne pepper, optional, to taste
• 1/3 to 1/2 cup olive oil
• 1 pound (500 grams) carrots, peeled and quartered lengthwise
• 1 pound (500 grams) potatoes, peeled and quartered lengthwise
• 2 cups chickpeas, cooked or canned
• 1/2 cup red or green olives
• 1 preserved lemon, quartered and seeds removed

Preparation

1. 1Steps to Make It
2. 2Gather the ingredients.
3. 3Mix the meat with onion, garlic, cilantro/parsley, spices and olive oil in a pressure cooker. Brown the meat, uncovered, over medium heat for about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.
4. 4Add 3 cups of water, cover, and cook the meat with pressure for 25 minutes if using beef, and about 35 minutes if using lamb or goat meat.
5. 5Add the carrots, adding water if necessary so that the broth almost reaches the top of the carrots. Cover and cook with pressure for about 7 minutes. Add the potatoes and chickpeas, and cook with pressure until the potatoes are tender about 5 to 6 minutes. Add the preserved lemon and olives, and reduce the sauce until it is thick.
6. 6Transfer the tagine to a large serving platter, garnished with freshly chopped parsley if desired.
7. 7Serve and enjoy!
8. 8Pressure Cooker Method
9. 9Conventional Pot Method
10. 10Mix the meat with onion, garlic, cilantro or parsley, spices and olive oil in a Dutch oven or pot. Brown the meat, uncovered, over medium heat for about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.
11. 11Add 3 cups of water, cover, and simmer the meat for about 1 hour if using beef, and about 1 1/2 hours if using lamb or goat meat. Occasionally check on the level of the broth, and add more water if necessary during the cooking.
12. 12Add the carrots and enough water so that the broth almost reaches the top of the carrots. Cover and simmer the carrots until almost tender, about 10 to 15 minutes. Add the potatoes, chickpeas, olives and preserved lemon, and continue simmering, covered, until the potatoes are tender. Uncover and reduce the sauce until thick.
13. 13Clay or Ceramic Tagine Method
14. 14Slice the onioninstead of chopping it, and tie the parsley or cilantro into a bouquet instead of chopping it.
15. 15Pour about half of the olive oil into the base of a large tagine. Distribute the onions over the bottom and then arrange the carrots on top of the onions.
16. 16In a bowl, mix the meat with the garlic and spices. Place the meat in the middle of the tagine, bone or fatty sides down. Swirl 2 cups of water in the bowl to rinse the spices, and then add this water and the remaining olive oil to the tagine.
17. 17Top the meat with the parsley bouquet and distribute the olives and preserved lemon wedges over the meat and carrots.
18. 18Cover the tagine and place on a diffuser over medium-low to medium heat and allow the tagine to reach a simmer. This can take some time so be patient. Once a simmer is achieved, reduce the heat to the lowest temperature necessary to maintain the simmer, and cook for about 3 hours. Add the chickpeas (and a little water if you feel it's necessary), and continue cooking for another 30 to 60 minutes, until the meat and carrots are very tender and the liquids are reduced. Discard the cilantro bouquet, and garnish with freshly chopped parsley if desired.