Quick and Easy Lamb Tagine with Olives
This lamb tagine has taken me a few happy iterations. I am happy with its hints of sweetness. And, am finally please with how I can fit this into the instant pot. Given that a tagine is a slow cooked affair, it might seem a little counter intuitive to make this in the instant pot. But, having tried it both in a tagine and the Instant Pot, I do feel the IP does a good job without sacrificing flavor. The seasons is pretty simple. The flavors are very nicely trapped in the instant pot. So, you get that deep and rich flavor in a fraction of the time.
My Easy Lamb Tagine Idea
This week has started with some strange muggy weather. Almost like July. The sun however is out, the day is lovely, and all seems so good and well. I squeezed in a sudden errand this afternoon. I sometimes wish that I took more advantage of the relative flexibility that these times offer. I guess, to a degree, it is habit. And partly, I just have been busier than usual so, the flexibility of venue has not mattered much. I also picked up a large Starbucks coffee.
Interestingly not my favorite, but something that happened in my Grand Central route. Funny, how something is a part of one’s psyche without realizing it.
A Few Specifics about this Lamb Tagine
Now, back to this lamb tagine:
- I mostly use Ras-el-Hangout for flavor. A good fragrant all-purpose recipe that you should be able to handle at home.
- Preserved lemons are traditional, but, if you cannot find them use some lemon zest
- I use a small amount raisins, to cater to my son. He is not a fan of dried fruit. However, if you like dried fruit feel free to add in more like dates, etc.
- I use boneless leg of lamb for convenience.
And, usually when I do my Sunday global adventures, I do try to make it a themed meal, so a few things that I did with this one was,
Make Ras-El-Hanout from the Scratch, toss together this gorgeous beet salad with Orzo, and make this ridiculously easy Semolina Cookies. And so, if you are looking for mealtime inspiration I have you covered.
If you like this recipe and want more ideas, do join my Indian Instant Pot Facebook group and Legume Love Group. Of course Instant Indian is ready for order, joining its siblings The Bengali Five Spice Chronicles and Spices and Seasons.
A gorgeous Moroccan Lamb stew enriched with dried fruits.
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons oil
- 1 large onion, halved and thinly sliced
- 4 cloves of garlic, minced
- 1 tablespoon minced ginger
- 2 pounds of boneless leg of lamb cubed
- 2 teaspoons salt
- 2 tablespoon ras-el-hanout
- ½ cup large raisins
- ¼ cup dates, pitted and halved
- 1 cup water or broth
- ½ cup green olives sliced
- 2 tablespoons fresh chopped mint
- 2 tablespoons sliced almonds
Instructions
- Turn the instant pot onto sauté mode and add in the oil and heat for a minute. Add in the onion, garlic and ginger and sauté for 3 minutes. Add in the lamb and cook for 2 minutes. Add in the salt and the ras-el-hanout and sauté for 3 minutes. This initial step takes about 10 minutes and is important for building flavor.
- Turn off the sauté mode. Add in the raisins and dates and the water or broth. Stir well to deglaze the pot. Cover and set on 25 minutes of pressure and allow a natural release.
- Remove the cover and turn on the sauté mode. Stir in the green olives and mint and cook for 2 to 3 minutes. Turn off the heat and serve garnished with the sliced onions.
Notes
Tagine Instructions Place the tagine on the stove on medium heat and add in the oil and heat for 2 minutes. Add in the onion, garlic and ginger and sauté for 10 minutes. Add in the lamb, salt and the ras-el-hanout and stir in for 5 minutes. Add in the raisins and the dates and the water or broth. Cover and cook on medium heat for 3 hours. Remove the cover and stir in the green olives and mint. Serve garnished with the sliced onions.