← Nouns Cooking · Moroccan

Ingredients

• 500 g minced beef or lamb (or a mix)
• 1 small onion, grated
• 3 tbsp Parsley, finely chopped
• 3 tbsp Coriander (cilantro), finely chopped
• 1 tsp Paprika
• 1 tsp ground cumin
• 1 tsp Salt
• ¼ tsp Black pepper
• ¼ tsp ground cinnamon (optional)
• 900 g ripe tomatoes (or 2 × 400 g cans), grated or chopped
• 4 tbsp Olive oil
• 1 Onion, finely chopped
• 4 cloves Garlic, crushed
• 1½ tsp Paprika
• 1½ tsp ground cumin
• 1 tsp Salt
• 1 pinch Cayenne pepper (optional)
• 1 Bay leaves
• 2 tbsp parsley and coriander, chopped
• 4 Eggs

Method

1. Mix all the kefta ingredients with your hands for 1–2 min until sticky. With wet hands, roll into small balls about the size of a cherry tomato.
2. Put all the sauce ingredients into a tagine or wide lidded frying pan, add 125 ml water and bring to a simmer over medium heat. Cover and cook for 15–20 min, stirring now and then, until the tomatoes break down into a thick sauce.
3. Nestle the meatballs into the sauce in one layer. Cover and simmer for 20 min, gently turning them halfway, until cooked through. Add a splash of water if the sauce gets too thick.
4. Make 4 little wells in the sauce and crack an egg into each. Cover and cook for 5–8 min, until the whites are set and the yolks are as runny or firm as you like.
5. Scatter with extra herbs and bring the pan to the table with crusty bread for scooping.

Tips

• Grate the onion and squeeze out its juice before mixing, so the meatballs hold together.
• For fully set yolks (better for small children and pregnancy), cook the eggs a few minutes longer.

Sources

Written in our own words after cross-checking these recipes:

Taste of Maroc Salima's Kitchen