Recipes: Lamb tagine with datessweet potatoes

This is one of those wonderful dishes that improves with keeping

• 6 tbsp olive oil
• 4 onions , thinly sliced
• 2 tbsp finely chopped fresh root ginger
• 2kg boneless lamb shoulder, cut into 5cm chunks
• 4 tsp ground cumin
• 2 tsp each paprika and ground coriander
• 2 cinnamon sticks
• 850ml passata
• 700g sweet potatoes , cut into chunks
• 350g pitted dates

TO SERVE

• 100g blanched almonds , toasted
• good handful coriander , roughly chopped

  

  1. Heat the oil in a large, deep pan. Add the onions, then gently fry until softened, about 5 mins. Stir in the ginger, add the meat in batches, then fry on all sides until lightly coloured. Return all the meat to the pan, stir in the spices and cinnamon sticks, then cook for 1 min.
  2. Add the passata and 800ml water, then bring to the boil, stirring. Season well, then cover and simmer for 1½ hrs, until the lamb is tender.
  3. Add the sweet potatoes, stir well, cover again, then cook for 20 mins or until the potatoes are just tender. Stir in the dates and heat through for 5 mins. Taste and add more seasoning if necessary. To serve, spoon the tagine into a serving dish and scatter with the almonds and coriander.

  To freeze

  Cool at the end of step 2, then pack into a rigid container. Freeze for up to a month. Defrost in the fridge overnight, then gently reheat (add a little more water if necessary), bring to the boil and continue with step 3.

  PER SERVING

  646 kcalories, protein 42g, carbohydrate 49g, fat 32 g, saturated fat 13g, fibre 0g, sugar 33g, salt 0,82 g