Morocco | Main dish

Lamb Tagine with Prunes and Almonds

Moroccan lamb tagine with ginger, saffron, cinnamon, honeyed prunes, toasted almonds, and sesame.

Country
Morocco
Region
North Africa
Time
145 min
Serves
6
Level
medium
Recipe overview

What to know before you cook

Lamb with prunes and almonds is one of Morocco's great sweet-savory celebration tagines. Slow-cooked meat, ginger, saffron, cinnamon, and onions meet glossy honeyed prunes and crunchy almonds.

What the dish tastes like

Moroccan lamb tagine with ginger, saffron, cinnamon, honeyed prunes, toasted almonds, and sesame.

When to cook it

Best for Best for weddings, Eid, guest lunches, and special family meals., with a medium cooking level and about 145 minutes total.

What to serve alongside it

Khobz, couscous, Moroccan salads, or mint tea.

Regional lane

Tagines and special mains. Slow-cooked, spiced, sweet-savory, and celebratory dishes that anchor the table.

Chef watch-outs
  • Rushing the base before the raw edge has cooked out.
  • Adding all seasoning early and forgetting to adjust at the end.
  • Cooking on heat that is too high once the dish should be steaming or simmering.
How you know it is ready
  • The aroma should smell rounded rather than raw or sharp.
  • Oil, sauce, broth, or steam should look settled and deliberate.
  • The final texture should match the dish style before you plate it.
Pantry lane

preserved lemon, green olives, saffron, ras el hanout, semolina

Chef board

Build the table around Lamb Tagine with Prunes and Almonds

Khobz, couscous, Moroccan salads, or mint tea.

Best route from here

Tagines and special mains

Collections to keep cooking
Servings 6

Scale the dish before you shop, then use the checklist while you cook.

How to cook it

Step-by-step method

Keep the rhythm calm, watch the texture, and adjust seasoning at the end.

Back to Morocco
4 steps 145 min total medium
1
Start the tagine
Brown lamb with oil, onions, ginger, turmeric, cinnamon, saffron, salt, and pepper.
brown 15:00
2
Braise slowly
Add water, cover, and cook gently until the lamb is very tender.
braise 95:00
3
Glaze the prunes
Simmer prunes with a ladle of sauce, honey, and cinnamon until glossy.
prunes 15:00
4
Finish and garnish
Reduce the meat sauce, then top with prunes, almonds, sesame, and a little syrup.
finish 08:00

Some cooks use beef instead of lamb, add apricots, or garnish with boiled eggs and sesame.