Kefta and Egg Tagine
The first moroccan dish I ever ate
Kefta and egg tagine is actually the first Moroccan food I ever tried. At the time I didn’t really know what I was ordering, because the menu was in Spanish and Arabic. And then when I was actually in Morocco the French menu always just says “viande” which literally means “meat” in English. So I knew they were meatballs, but with what meat, I had no idea. I only recently looked it up and the word kefta really does just mean ground meat, meaning it could be lamb, beef, or even chicken or turkey, though its usually a mix of beef and lamb.
In Morocco, you can find kefta at any market, either seasoned or unseasoned, I usually opt for the seasoned. The recipe for seasoned kefta varies slightly from butcher to butcher but generally includes diced onion, paprika, cumin, salt, pepper, and fresh herbs like cilantro and parsley—plus any additional spices you want to add.
Kefta is a really versatile meat that is used in a lot of meals in Morocco. Not only is it used in this tagine, but it’s used in kebabs, grilled patties, or even spread onto a pita bread and grilled make a sandwich! Really anything you can think of using ground beef for, you can also use kefta.
No tagine is complete without the actual tagine dish, but if you don’t have one a dutch oven or a wide pan with a lid will do the trick. The tagine pot is a pretty iconic part of moroccan cuisine and so many dishes here is cooked in it. I think Jordan and I will definitely find a way to get one in the States, especially since we eat so much tagine. Plus, most tagine recipes are incredibly easy to make. If you use a dutch oven for this recipe, I would leave a little crack in the lid while cooking, since traditional tanginess have a built in ventilation hole.
How I made it :)
I started by slicing an onion into thin strips. I’ve been doing this a lot lately, and for this dish in particular, sliced onions work best—they soften and caramelize beautifully. Next, I minced some garlic.
I also had my trusty sous-chef Oliwia helping me in the kitchen, who kindly grated four tomatoes for this recipe. While you can find canned tomatoes in the grocery store, it is a lot harder to come by in the souk. And when you do find them, they’re usually pricier than just grabbing tomatoes and grating them yourself, plus the flavor is so much fresher!
After we did the prep work, we started on the sauce. In the tagine pot over medium heat, I heated some oil and added my onions, letting them sweat for around 7-8 minutes with some seasoning in the pan, paprika, cumin and a bit of turmeric. Then, I stirred in the minced garlic, cooking for another few minutes until it softened. Finally, I added the grated tomatoes (or, if you're taking the easy route, a can of crushed tomatoes). I let the tomatoes cook down and reduce for a few minutes with the tagine lid on. If you’re using a dutch oven, I would leave just a bit of room for ventilation, like a traditional tagine pot would. While you’re waiting for the tomatoes to reduce into a sauce, you can roll your kefta into meatballs.
Once the sauce had thickened up a bit I gave it a quick taste before adding in my kefta. After all of the fresh tomatoes, the sauce will most likely need a lot of salt and a fair bit of pepper Once the sauce was just right, it was time to add in the meatballs and cover the tagine.
After about seven minutes with the lid on, the meatballs should be mostly cooked, and then it is time to crack in your eggs. I used eight eggs, two per person, because they are cheap in Morocco, but feel free to use however many you like.
Once all the eggs are in, I put the lid back on and let them cook until the whites were just set, and then turned off the heat. I like the yolks of my eggs to still be jammy when eating the tagine, but just remember that the eggs will keep cooking for a little bit after you turn off the stove because of the heat of the dish itself.
While waiting for the eggs, I chopped some fresh parsley and cilantro for the garnish, and voila, a delicious and beautiful meal!
Final step: find good friends to enjoy your tagine with! If you want to keep it traditional, grab a fresh loaf of bread to enjoy with the meatballs and sauce.
Kefta and Egg Tagine: Serves four
Ingredients:
Olive oil
Spices: paprika, cumin and turmeric
1 onion, sliced
4 cloves garlic, minced
4 tomatoes grated (or one can crushed tomatoes)
500g kefta (see intro for how to make or find a recipe online)
8 eggs
Fresh parsley or cilantro, for garnish
Method:
Heat a bit of olive oil in a tagine, dutch oven or wide frying pan over medium heat. Add in the spices and the sliced onion and cook until softened.
Stir in the minced garlic and cook for another few minutes until softened.
Add in the grated (or canned) tomatoes, cover with the lid, and let simmer for 7-10 minutes until reduced. If you are using a dutch oven leave a little bit of room for ventilation.
Meanwhile, roll the kefta into meatballs.
Once the tomato sauce has thickened, taste and season with salt and pepper as needed.
Add the meatballs into the sauce, cover, and let cook for 7-10 minutes until almost fully cooked.
Crack the eggs on top of the meatballs. Cover again nd cook until the egg whites have just set.
Turn off the heat — the residual heat will continue cooking the dish for a few minutes,
Garnish with fresh parsley or cilantro and serve with fresh bread!
As always, let me know if you try this recipe! For the longer version of the recipe with pictures, scroll up a bit.
xx abby
Yum!
A timely inspiration for dinner :)
Thanks for recipe. Looks delicious x