Moroccan beef tagine with beetroot and oranges

moroccan-beef-tagine

Moroccan beef tagine with beetroot and oranges

Earthy and fruity, with a hint of ginger, this tagine is a good winter warmer. It can be made with either fresh or pre-cooked beetroot. You could serve it with roasted butternut squash and a mound of Plain, Buttery Couscous tossed with pistachios.

INGREDIENTS

  • 1–2 tablespoons ghee, or 1 tablespoon olive oil plus a knob of butter 
  • 3–4 garlic cloves, crushed 
  • 1 red onion, halved lengthways and sliced with the grain 
  • 40 g fresh ginger, peeled and finely chopped or grated 
  • 1 red chilli, deseeded and sliced 
  • 2 teaspoons coriander seeds, crushed
  • 2 cinnamon sticks 
  • 3–4 beetroots, peeled and quartered 
  • 500 g lean beef, cut into bite-sized cubes or strips 
  • 2 thin-skinned oranges, cut into segments 
  • 1 tablespoon dark, runny honey 
  • 1–2 tablespoons orange flower water 
  • a knob of butter 
  • 2–3 tablespoons shelled pistachios 
  • leaves from a small bunch of fresh flat-leaf parsley, roughly chopped 
  • sea salt and freshly ground black pepper 
  • Plain, Buttery Couscous, to serve
Serves 4–6 

METHOD

Moroccan beef tagine with beetroot and oranges
  1. Melt the ghee in a tagine or heavy-based casserole, add the garlic, onion, and ginger and stir until they begin to color. Add the chilli, coriander seeds and cinnamon sticks. Add the beetroot and sauté for 2–3 minutes. Toss in the beef and sauté for 1 minute. Pour in enough water to almost cover the beef and beetroot and bring to the boil. Reduce the heat, cover with a lid and simmer for 1 hour, until the meat is very tender.
  2. Add the orange segments, honey and orange flower water to the tagine and season to taste with salt and pepper. Cover with the lid and cook for a further 10–15 minutes.
  3. Melt the butter in a small saucepan and toss in the pistachios, stirring them over medium heat until they turn golden brown. Sprinkle them over the tagine along with the flat-leaf parsley and serve immediately.