Description
A flavorful and comforting Moroccan dish featuring tender lamb, sweet apricots, and aromatic spices.
Ingredients
Scale
- 2 lbs lamb shoulder (cut into cubes)
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 onion (finely chopped)
- 3 cloves garlic (minced)
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon ground coriander
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon ground ginger
- 1 teaspoon turmeric
- 1 cup canned tomatoes (diced)
- 1 cup chicken broth
- 1 cup dried apricots (chopped)
- 1 cup chickpeas (drained and rinsed)
- Salt and pepper (to taste)
- Fresh cilantro (for garnish)
Instructions
- Start by cutting the lamb shoulder into evenly sized cubes to ensure they cook uniformly. Pat the lamb dry with paper towels—this helps with browning later. Season the lamb cubes with salt and pepper.
- Heat the olive oil in a heavy-bottomed pot or Dutch oven over medium-high heat. In batches, add the lamb cubes to the hot oil and brown on all sides.
- Remove the lamb and set aside. In the same pot, add the chopped onion and sauté until soft and translucent, about 5 minutes.
- Add the minced garlic and cook for another minute, stirring frequently to prevent burning.
- Add the ground cumin, coriander, cinnamon, ginger, and turmeric to the onion and garlic mixture. Stir constantly for about 1-2 minutes to toast the spices.
- Pour in the diced canned tomatoes and chicken broth, scraping any browned bits off the bottom of the pot with a wooden spoon.
- Return the browned lamb to the pot and stir to combine everything. Add the chopped dried apricots and drained chickpeas.
- Bring the mixture to a gentle simmer, then reduce the heat to low. Cover the pot and let it cook for about 90 to 120 minutes.
- Stir occasionally and add a splash of water or broth if the sauce becomes too thick. Adjust seasoning with salt and pepper as needed.
- Remove from heat and sprinkle freshly chopped cilantro over the top before serving.
Notes
Serve hot with crusty bread or over couscous. Leftovers can be refrigerated for up to three days or frozen for three months.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 120 minutes
- Category: Main Course
- Method: Stovetop
- Cuisine: Moroccan
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 serving
- Calories: 480
- Sugar: 15g
- Sodium: 600mg
- Fat: 20g
- Saturated Fat: 6g
- Unsaturated Fat: 10g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 56g
- Fiber: 8g
- Protein: 30g
- Cholesterol: 110mg