Go Back

Meatball and chickpea tagine

In the supermarkets you can buy ready-to-cook meatballs. You only need to fry or grill them and add some sauce. This meatball and chickpea tagine is a lovely example of their use in this way, perfect for a midweek family meal. Serve it with couscous, rice or just pita.
Print Recipe
Prep Time 5 minutes
Cook Time 20 minutes
Resting Time 4 hours
Total Time 30 minutes
Servings: 4 people
Cuisine: North African
Calories: 1234
Ingredients Method

Ingredients
  

  • About 20 meatballs beef or lamb
  • 1 onion
  • 1 garlic clove
  • 4 medium carrots
  • I handful of coriander stalks and leaves separated
  • 2 tsp ground cumin
  • 1 Tbsp ground paprika
  • 1 tsp ground cinnamon
  • 1 can chopped tomatoes 400g
  • 1 can chick peas drained (400g)
  • 1 tsp honey
  • 200 ml water or vegetable stock
  • 1 tsp olive oil

Method
 

  1. Roughly chop the onion, dice the carrots. Mince the garlic. Finely chop the coriander stalks, put the leaves aside.
  2. Heat the oil in a large casserole dish and cook the meatballs for 5 minutes until brown all over. Transfer them to a plate.
  3. Add the onion and carrots to pan and fry for 5 minutes. Add the garlic and the spices, then stir for a minute.
  4. Add the chopped tomatoes, chickpeas, honey and stock/water return the meatballs to the pan. Season, and simmer under cover for 15-20 minutes until the sauce is thickened.
  5. When the meatballs and carrots are cooked through, stir in the coriander leaves.
  6. Serve with couscous or flatbread.