Harissa lamb stew

A delightfully different lamb stew laden with spice and aromatics. Any budget cut of lamb or beef will work well in this slow-cooked stew or you could replace the meat with butternut squash or sweet potato to make it vegetarian.

Credit: Donal's Meals in Minutes

• serves

  6

• prep

  15 minutes

• cook

  2 hours

• difficulty

  Easy

Harissa paste can be found in most supermarkets; its sweet and smoky flavour adds depth to all sorts of dishes. If you have some harissa left over in your jar use it to swirl through hummus, or loosen with a little orange juice to make a sauce for grilled meat.

Ingredients

• 2 tbsp + 1 tsp (45 ml) olive oil
• 600 g boneless lamb shoulder, diced
• 1 large onion, finely chopped
• 2 large eggplant (aubergines), cut into chunks
• 3 garlic cloves, crushed
• 2 tsp coriander seeds
• 2 tsp cumin seeds
• ó tsp ground cinnamon
• 1½ tbsp rose harissa paste (see Note)
• Pared rind of ½ lemon
• 1 400 g tin chopped tomatoes
• 500 ml chicken or vegetable stock
• 1 400 g tin chickpeas, drained and rinsed
• Sea salt and black pepper
• Chopped coriander and natural yoghurt, to serve

Instructions

1. Pour the oil into a heavy-based pan and place over a high heat while you season the lamb with salt and pepper. Add the lamb, in batches, and brown all over then remove with a slotted spoon and set aside.

2. Add the onion and eggplant to the pan and fry for 10 minutes then add the garlic and spices and cook for a minute more. Stir in the harissa paste and add the lemon rind then pour over the tinned tomatoes and stock. Season well.

3. Return the lamb to the pan and simmer gently, covered, for 1¼ hours, adding the chickpeas after 30 minutes.

4. Uncover and cook for a further 20–30 minutes until the meat is falling apart. Scatter with coriander and serve with dollops of yoghurt.

Note

• Rose harissa includes rose petals or rosewater, adding extra flavour or aroma. You can use normal harissa instead.

Cook's Notes

Oven temperatures are for conventional; if using fan-forced (convection), reduce the temperature by 20˚C. | We use Australian tablespoons and cups: 1 teaspoon equals 5 ml; 1 tablespoon equals 20 ml; 1 cup equals 250 ml. | All herbs are fresh (unless specified) and cups are lightly packed. | All vegetables are medium size and peeled, unless specified. | All eggs are 55-60 g, unless specified.

Harissa paste can be found in most supermarkets; its sweet and smoky flavour adds depth to all sorts of dishes. If you have some harissa left over in your jar use it to swirl through hummus, or loosen with a little orange juice to make a sauce for grilled meat.