Kefta tagine / Tagine kefta.

I love tagines. Not just because they are very tasty but also because of the aromas that come from the kitchen when cooking one of them and therefore I'm always on a quest to find new recipes with different ingredients and different aromas and flavours.

This delicious recipe comes from Helena's blog and it really is very flavoursome and the smell, while preparing and cooking it, is second to none.

ingredients (serves 6):

700g minced beef meat

4 garlic cloves, peeled

1 onion, peeled and roughly chopped

1tbsp coriander seeds

1cm piece of fresh ginger

1tsp cumin seeds

1/2 tsp sweet paprika

2 eggs

2tbsp olive oil

salt and freshly found black pepper

one handful of fresh coriander, chopped

for the sauce:

2 ripe medium tomatoes, chopped

410g can peeled tomatoes

1 onion, peeled and finely chopped

1 garlic clove, peeled and finely chopped

1tsp cumin seeds

salt and freshly found black pepper

fresh coriander, chopped

method:

Heat the oven to 170ºC.
Put the onion, garlic cloves, ginger, coriander seeds, fresh coriander and eggs in a food processor and whizz until you have a paste.
Add the paste to the meat, along with some salt, freshly ground pepper and the paprika and mix everything together with your hands.
Cover the bowl with clingfilm and refrigerate, so the mixture firms up a little and it's easier to mould the meatballs.
Mould the meat mixture onto golf size balls and set aside on a tray lined with baking paper.
Heat the olive oil in a frying pan over medium heat and seal the meatballs all over, until golden brown. Put the sealed meatballs inside a large tagine or cast iron pot and set aside.
To prepare the sauce, fry the onion and garlic in the same frying pan you used to seal the meatballs. Stir in the cumin seeds, coriander and season with salt and freshly ground black pepper. Cook for a few minutes, or until the onion has softened. Add the chopped tomatoes and peeled tomatoes and cook for a couple of minutes. Add 1 small glass of water, stir and tip the sauce over the reserved meatballs.
Cover the tagine and bake in the preheated oven for 1 hour, or until the meatballs are cooked through.
I served it with plain couscous but you can serve it with boiled white rice.

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Adoro tagines e não é só pelos seus sabores exóticos, ams também pela forma como são cozinhadas e pelos aromas que delas emanam, quer durante a sua preparação, quer durante a cozedura e depois, ao serem degustadas.
Sendo uma apreciadora de tagines, descobri esta receita no blogue da Helena e qual não foi a coincidência...
Bom, se querem saber de que coincidência falo, vão ver a receita ao Sabores de Canela e perceberão de que falo...
A tagine foi aprovadíssima por todos cá em casa e será um prato a repetir com toda a certeza.

Recipe / Receita: Sabores de Canela.