Spicy Egg Meatball and Tomato Tagine Kefta Mkaouara

Ingredients

• olive oil
• free-range eggs
• salt & freshly ground black pepper
• minced beef
• parsley
• ground cumin
• salt
• fresh ground black pepper
• hot paprika
• onion
• chopped tomatoes
• garlic cloves
• fresh coriander leaves

Preparation

1. 1preheat the oven to 200c / 400f / gas 6
2. 2for the meatballs , put the minced beef , parsley , cumin , paprika , one teaspoon salt and some freshly ground black pepper into a bowl and mix together well using your hands
3. 3dampen your hands and form the mixture into about 28 2
4. 45cm balls
5. 5heat two tablespoons of the oil in a shallow tagine or frying pan and brown the meatballs briefly on all sides
6. 6remove with a slotted spoon to a plate and set to one side
7. 7for the sauce , add the onion to the tagine or pan with the remaining tablespoon of oil and cook gently for ten minutes until very soft and just beginning to brown
8. 8add the remaining sauce ingredients
9. 92 x 400g / 14oz cans chopped tomatoes , 1 tsp ground cumin , teaspoon hot paprika , 1 tsp freshly ground black pepper , 2 garlic cloves , crushed and salt to taste
10. 10leave to simmer gently for 15-20 minutes until well concentrated in flavour but not too thick
11. 11season well with salt to taste
12. 12return the meatballs to the sauce and mix together
13. 13transfer to a shallow ovenproof dish if you have prepared the sauce in a frying pan , otherwise leave the mixture in the tagine
14. 14make four slight dips in the mixture and break an egg into each one
15. 15bake in the oven for 15 minutes or until the eggs are just set
16. 16scatter with the chopped coriander and serve with warm flatbread