Moroccan style lamb and apricot casserole
“Moroccan spices add an exotic touch to lamb casserole.”
Preparation time: 20 minutes
Cooking time: 1 hour 45 minutes
Serves: 4-6
1 kg diced lamb (leg or shoulder)
¼ cup Healthy Baker plain flour
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 large red onion, chopped
3 cloves garlic, crushed
2 tablespoons Middle Eastern Spice blend*
1 tablespoon finely grated ginger
2 small hot red chillies, seeded and chopped
4 strips lemon peel
2 carrots (250g), thickly sliced
400g tin chopped tomatoes
2 tablespoons tomato paste
1½ cups beef stock
2/3 cup coarsely chopped dried apricots
1 tablespoon honey
salt, to taste
¼ cup coarsely chopped coriander leaves
couscous, to serve
1. Preheat oven to 170ºC. Place lamb in a large bowl. Add flour and toss to coat. Set aside.
2. Heat 2 teaspoons of the oil in a large flameproof casserole dish over a medium heat. Add onion and cook, stirring occasionally for 5 minutes or until softened. Remove from casserole dish and set aside.
3. Heat remaining oil in casserole dish. Add half the lamb and stir until browned, then remove. Repeat with remaining lamb, adding a little more oil, if necessary. Return lamb and onion to casserole dish. Add garlic and spice blend and stir for 1 minute, then add ginger, chillies, lemon peel, carrots, tomatoes, tomato paste, stock, apricots and honey. Stir to combine, then bring to the boil. Cover and place in oven. Cook 1½ hours or until lamb in tender (stir casserole halfway through cooking). Season with salt.
4. Stir in half the coriander. Serve with couscous and sprinkle with remaining coriander.
* Middle Eastern Spice blend is available in the spice section of the supermarket.
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