Description
A rich and comforting lamb and apricot stew inspired by North African flavors, featuring tender lamb shoulder, sweet dried apricots, chickpeas, and warm spices simmered in a tomato based sauce until perfectly balanced and deeply flavorful.
Ingredients
Scale
- 900 grams lamb shoulder, cut into 3 centimeter cubes
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 large onion, finely chopped
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 medium carrots, sliced into rounds
- 1 cup cooked chickpeas, drained and rinsed
- 150 grams dried apricots, halved
- 400 grams crushed tomatoes
- 2 cups beef or vegetable broth
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon ground coriander
- 1 1/2 teaspoons salt, or to taste
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
- 2 tablespoons fresh parsley, chopped
Instructions
- Preheat Your Equipment: Place a large heavy pot over medium heat and add the olive oil until shimmering.
- Combine Ingredients: In a small bowl, mix cumin, cinnamon, coriander, salt, and black pepper.
- Prepare Your Cooking Vessel: Add the lamb cubes in batches and brown on all sides. Remove and set aside once golden.
- Assemble the Dish: In the same pot, sauté the chopped onion for about 5 minutes until soft. Add garlic and cook for 1 minute. Stir in the spice mix and cook briefly until fragrant.
- Cook to Perfection: Return the lamb to the pot. Add carrots, chickpeas, dried apricots, crushed tomatoes, and broth. Stir well, bring to a gentle boil, then reduce heat to low. Cover and simmer for 1 hour and 30 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the lamb is tender and the sauce has thickened.
- Finishing Touches: Taste and adjust seasoning if needed. Let the stew rest off the heat for 5 minutes.
- Serve and Enjoy: Sprinkle with fresh parsley and serve hot over couscous or rice.
Notes
- Brown the lamb in batches to achieve proper caramelization and deeper flavor.
- For a thicker sauce, simmer uncovered for the last 10 to 15 minutes.
- This stew tastes even better the next day after the flavors have developed.
- Add a small squeeze of lemon juice before serving to brighten the flavors.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 serving
- Calories: 480 kcal
- Sugar: 14 g
- Sodium: 620 mg
- Fat: 28 g
- Saturated Fat: 9 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 17 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 24 g
- Fiber: 5 g
- Protein: 32 g
- Cholesterol: 95 mg