Moroccan Style Beef Stew 🇲🇦

It was my sister Clara who introduced me to Moroccan cuisine.  In her periodic travels to Morocco,  she has embraced its culture, language and food, and written poems and stories about her amazing experiences off the beaten track.  I have been fascinated with the exotic spices and herbs and the way fruits and nuts are used to achieve a delicious balance of sweet and savoury in meat and vegetables dishes.  This type of stew would traditionally be cooked in a tagine, but I have adapted the recipe for cooking in a heavy-based casserole pot.  Cubes of beef coated in warm spices are slow-cooked with slices of onions, tomatoes, eggplants and dates.  When the beef is tender, honey and toasted almonds are stirred in to give that Moorish overtone.  A winter warmer does not come any better than this.  Serve with couscous, mashed potatoes, or brown rice.

Serves 6

INGREDIENTS

• 800g/ 1lb 12oz beef chuck steak or gravy beef, cut into 3cm/ 1" cubes
• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• salt and ground black pepper
• 1 large onion, thinly sliced
• 2 cloves garlic, peeled and crushed
• 2 Lebanese eggplants, sliced into rounds
• 2 large tomatoes, roughly chopped
• 1½ cup beef stock
• 1 teaspoon cumin seeds
• ½ teaspoon ground coriander
• ½ teaspoon ground turmeric
• ¼ teaspoon ground ginger
• ¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon
• ½ cup seeded dates, halved
• ¼ cup almonds, toasted
• 1 tablespoon honey
• ¼ cup flat-leaf parsley for garnishing

METHOD

1. Sprinkle 1 teaspoon salt onto eggplant slices and let them stand, in single layer, on a plate for 20 minutes.  Rinse and drain them in a colander, then pat dry with paper towels.  (You can omit this step if the eggplants are very fresh.)
2. Heat 2 tablespoons oil in a heavy-based oven proof casserole pot over medium high heat.  Brown beef cubes, in batches, until browned all over.  Remove and set aside.
3. Cook onions and garlic in the same pot under medium heat with another tablespoon of oil, stirring, for a few minutes until the onions are softened.  Add cumin seeds, ground coriander, turmeric, ginger and cinnamon.  Continue to stir fry for a minute.  
4. Transfer beef back into the pot with tomatoes and stock.  Stir ingredients gently and bring to a boil.
5. Cover the casserole pot and place in a preheated 180°C/350°F oven for 1¼ hour.
6. Stir in eggplant slices and dates.  Cook uncovered in the oven for another 30 minutes.
7. Stir in almonds and honey.  Season with salt and pepper to taste. Garnish with chopped parsley just before serving. 

Source (with adaptations): 'Casseroles, The Australian Women's Weekly Healthy Eating series'