TAGINE KEFTA MKEWRA (Tagine of Meatballs in Tomato Sauce with Eggs)
This Moroccan dish is beautiful and delicious. You can cook the
meatballs in their sauce in advance, reheat, and add the eggs just
before serving. In Morocco, the cooking is finished in a wide
earthenware pot, also called a tagine, which goes on top of the fire.
Serve the entrée with plenty of warm bread. The traditional meat is
lamb, but ground beef works, too.
MEATBALLS:
1 1/2 pounds ground round or lamb
2 cups finely chopped onion
3 tablespoons finely chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1/4 teaspoon ground red pepper
Cooking spray
SAUCE:
3 cups chopped onion
4 cups chopped tomato (about 1 1/2 pounds)
1 teaspoon sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 garlic cloves, minced
3 tablespoons chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
3 tablespoons minced fresh cilantro
3 large eggs
Fresh cilantro sprigs (optional)
Preparation
Preheat oven to 400°.
To prepare meatballs, combine first 9 ingredients in a medium bowl. Shape mixture into (1-inch) meatballs; place on a broiler pan coated with cooking spray. Bake at 400° for 12 minutes or until done.
To prepare sauce, heat a large Dutch oven coated with cooking spray over medium-high heat. Add 3 cups onion; cook 3 minutes, stirring occasionally. Stir in tomato, sugar, 1/2 teaspoon salt and garlic; bring to a simmer over medium-high heat. Reduce heat to medium; cook 20 minutes, stirring occasionally. Stir in 3 tablespoons parsley and minced cilantro. Gently break eggs over simmering liquid; cover and cook 10 minutes or until the eggs are set. Garnish with cilantro sprigs, if desired.
1 1/2 pounds ground round or lamb
2 cups finely chopped onion
3 tablespoons finely chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1/4 teaspoon ground red pepper
Cooking spray
SAUCE:
3 cups chopped onion
4 cups chopped tomato (about 1 1/2 pounds)
1 teaspoon sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 garlic cloves, minced
3 tablespoons chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
3 tablespoons minced fresh cilantro
3 large eggs
Fresh cilantro sprigs (optional)
Preparation
Preheat oven to 400°.
To prepare meatballs, combine first 9 ingredients in a medium bowl. Shape mixture into (1-inch) meatballs; place on a broiler pan coated with cooking spray. Bake at 400° for 12 minutes or until done.
To prepare sauce, heat a large Dutch oven coated with cooking spray over medium-high heat. Add 3 cups onion; cook 3 minutes, stirring occasionally. Stir in tomato, sugar, 1/2 teaspoon salt and garlic; bring to a simmer over medium-high heat. Reduce heat to medium; cook 20 minutes, stirring occasionally. Stir in 3 tablespoons parsley and minced cilantro. Gently break eggs over simmering liquid; cover and cook 10 minutes or until the eggs are set. Garnish with cilantro sprigs, if desired.