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Beef tagine with sweet potatoes, peas, ginger and ras-elhanout

This fairly fiery dish is laced with the powerful flavors and aromas of ras-elhanout, a traditional spice mix. Regional variations use turnip, yam, pumpkin or butternut squash instead of sweet potatoes. It is best served with chunks of crusty bread and cooling yogurt or a glass of mint tea.

INGREDIENTS

• 2 tablespoons ghee or smen, or 1 tablespoon olive oil plus a knob of butter 
• 40 g fresh ginger, peeled and finely shredded 
• 1 onion, finely chopped 
• 1 kg lean beef, cut into bite-sized pieces 
• 1–2 teaspoons ras-el-hanout  
• 2 sweet potatoes, peeled and cubed 
• 500 g fresh or frozen peas 
• 2–3 tomatoes, skinned, deseeded and chopped 
• 1 preserved lemon, finely shredded or chopped 
• Leaves from a small bunch of fresh coriander, finely chopped 
• Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper 
• Crusty bread and natural yogurt, to serve

Serves 4 

METHOD

1. Heat the ghee in a tagine or heavy-based casserole. Add in the ginger and onion and sauté until soft. Toss in the beef and sear it on all sides, then stir in the ras-el-hanout. Pour in enough water to just cover the meat and bring it to the boil. Reduce the heat, cover with the lid and cook gently for about 40 minutes.
2. Add the sweet potato to the tagine, season to taste with salt and pepper, cover with the lid and cook gently for a further 20 minutes, until the meat is tender. Toss in the peas and tomatoes, cover with the lid and cook for 5–10 minutes.
3. Sprinkle the preserved lemon and chopped coriander over the top and serve immediately with crusty bread and natural yogurt

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