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Halal-conscious recipe

Halal lamb tagine

An easy oven-braised Moroccan-style tagine of Halal diced lamb with onion, carrot, ras el hanout, tomatoes, chickpeas and dried apricots in Halal stock, finished with pomegranate and coriander.

  • Cuisine Moroccan
  • Meal Main
  • Difficulty Easy
  • Yield 4 portions
  • Time 1h 45m
  • Last updated

Each method follows published technique for the dish, and every Halal substitution is checked against the ingredient pages we cite. Photographs come from our ingredient library rather than the finished dish.

Printable view
Green beans, carrots and potatoes layered in a metal tagine base, ready to cook
Photograph from our ingredient library: vegetables layered in a tagine before cooking, not the finished dish from this recipe.

Photo: Ridouan Red · CC BY-SA 4.0

Why Halal checks matter here

The tagine is built on lamb, which is Halal only from Halal slaughter, and on 600 ml of chicken stock, a bought product to check.

A tagine is a North African stew, and the meat decides whether it is Halal. Lamb comes from a Halal species, but the meat is only Halal when slaughtered to the standard you follow, so start with diced lamb from a Halal butcher or a certified pack.

This version follows Barney Desmazery's easy lamb tagine for BBC Good Food, which has no alcohol in it. The one other check is the 600 ml of chicken stock: UK cubes such as OXO and Knorr are not Halal-certified, so use a Halal stock or a vegetable one (see stock cubes).

It braises covered in the oven for an hour, with 20 minutes more if the lamb is still firm, then rests before the pomegranate and coriander go on.

Halal-critical ingredients

  • Lamb Sheep are a Halal species, but the meat is only Halal when slaughtered to the standard you follow, and certifiers differ on stunning. Buy diced lamb from a Halal butcher or in a certified pack. See Lamb.
  • Chicken stock UK chicken stock cubes such as OXO and Knorr contain chicken that is not certified Halal. Use a Halal-certified chicken stock or a vegan vegetable stock. See Stock cubes.

Safe substitutes

  • Lamb of unknown slaughter → Halal diced lamb
  • Chicken stock of unknown source → Halal-certified chicken stock or a vegetable stock

Allergens

none

Ingredients

Tagine

  • 2 tbsp olive oil
  • 500 g lean diced Halal lamb
  • 1 large onion, roughly chopped
  • 2 large carrots, quartered lengthways and cut into chunks
  • 2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
  • 2 tbsp ras el hanout spice mix
  • 400 g can chopped tomatoes
  • 400 g can chickpeas, rinsed and drained
  • 200 g dried apricots
  • 600 ml Halal chicken stock or vegetable stock

To finish

  • 120 g pomegranate seeds
  • 2 large handfuls coriander, roughly chopped
  • to serve couscous or rice

Method

  1. Brown the lamb. Heat the oven to 180C/160C fan/gas 4. Heat the oil in a casserole and brown the Halal lamb on all sides, then scoop it out onto a plate.
  2. Cook the vegetables and spices. Add the onion and carrots and cook for 2 to 3 minutes until golden, then the garlic for 1 minute more. Stir in the ras el hanout and tomatoes, and season.
  3. Braise. Tip the lamb back in with the chickpeas and apricots, pour over the stock, stir and bring to a simmer. Cover and cook in the oven for 1 hour; if the lamb is still a little tough, give it 20 minutes more until tender.
  4. Serve. Leave it to rest so it is not piping hot, then scatter with pomegranate seeds and coriander and serve with couscous or rice.

How this recipe was researched

Method from BBC Good Food's 'Easy lamb tagine' by Barney Desmazery (serves 4: 500 g lean diced lamb browned in 2 tbsp olive oil in a casserole; 1 onion and 2 carrots cooked 2 to 3 minutes; 2 garlic cloves for 1 minute; 2 tbsp ras el hanout and a 400 g can of chopped tomatoes; the lamb back in with a 400 g can of chickpeas and 200 g dried apricots; 600 ml chicken stock; covered in the oven at 180C/160C fan/gas 4 for 1 hour, 20 minutes more if still tough; rested, then pomegranate seeds and coriander; with couscous or rice). The source has no alcohol; we specified Halal lamb and a Halal or vegetable stock. Timings follow the published technique rather than a kitchen test.

Technique and ingredient sources

  1. Easy lamb tagine — BBC Good Food Retrieved:

    By Barney Desmazery. Serves 4, prep 15 minutes, cook 1 hour 30 minutes: 500 g diced lamb, onion, carrots, garlic, ras el hanout, chopped tomatoes, chickpeas, 200 g dried apricots and 600 ml chicken stock, covered in the oven at 180C/160C fan/gas 4 for 1 hour (20 minutes more if needed); pomegranate and coriander. No alcohol in the source.

  2. Tagine analysis — isithalal.food Retrieved:

    Tagine as a North African stew and why the meat decides the answer.

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