With this cold weather it is important to have some warming food to come home to. I love the mix of flavours in this tagine and it is very simple to make. The meatballs are a combination of chicken and beef which gives them a lovely light texture. I do not fry them; I just pop them into the sauce to cook. This is one of the recipes that are featured in my new app, The Essential Guide to Feeding Your Baby and Toddler, which comes out in two weeks. This makes a wonderful dish for the whole family and I do think its important to introduce your child to lots of different flavours when they are young.
Makes four portions
Ingredients: Tagine Sauce
● 1 tbsp oil
● 1 small onion, finely chopped
● 150g butternut squash coarsely grated
● ½ tsp fresh ginger, grated
● ½ tsp garam masala
● ½ tsp ground cinnamon
● ½ tsp ground coriander
● 1 x 400g tin chopped tomatoes
● 250 ml chicken stock
● 1 tsp sundried tomato paste
● 1 tsp honey
Ingredients: Meatballs
● 1 onion finely chopped
● 1 tbsp sunflower oil
● 125g chicken mince
● 125g beef mince
● 30g fresh breadcrumbs
● Half chicken stock cube, finely crumbled
● Half tsp chopped coriander
● 1 egg yolk
PLUS
● 300g pasta or rice
● Extra coriander for the garnish
Method
● First make the tagine sauce.
● Heat the oil in a large saucepan (it might be a good idea to sauté two onions here and then use one for the sauce and one for the meatballs).
● Add the onion and butternut squash. Sauté for 5 minutes, then add the ginger.
● Add the spices and fry for one minute. Add the remaining ingredients. Season and simmer for 10 minutes until the onion and squash are soft.
● Blend using a hand blender until smooth. Pour back into the saucepan.
● To make the meatballs, heat the oil in a pan and sauté the onion for about 7 minutes until softened.
● Allow to cool and then mix the onions with all the other ingredients into a bowl and season. Shape into 20 balls.
● Bring the sauce up to the boil, then drop in the meatballs in a single layer. Cover and simmer for 15 minutes or until cooked.
● Meanwhile cook the pasta or rice according to the packet instructions and drain.
● Serve the meatballs with pasta or rice and sprinkle over some extra coriander.
