Slow Cooked Moroccan Kefta Lamb Meatballs Keto Tagine
Morocco is at the geographic and cultural crossroads between Africa, Europe, and the Middle East. In Morocco, the term tagine refers to a slow-cooked stew as well as the pot the stew is made in.
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| Kefta Tagine |
Kefta Tagine is a keto-friendly Moroccan lamb meatball food dish fitted for your low-carb lifestyle. The slow cooking of the meatballs allows the flavors to meld beautifully, creating a fragrant, hearty keto meal.
The star of the Kefta Tagine dish is lamb, symbolizing the richness of Moroccan hospitality. Lamb meat has been a staple in North African cuisine for centuries, with lamb being central to celebrations and religious festivals.
Ground lamb meat is spiced and shaped into small balls, known as kefta, a preparation that dates back to ancient Berber traditions.
The kefta are seasoned with cumin, paprika, and coriander, spices that have shaped Morocco’s history in the global trading of spices while adding warmth and complexity to the dish.
The kefta balls are simmered in tomato sauce, made with fresh tomatoes, garlic, and olive oil.
Tomatoes, introduced to Moroccan cooking during European colonization, have since become indispensable. Garlic and olive oil, staples in Mediterranean and North African diets, infuse the dish with depth and fragrance, enhancing its health benefits.
Olive oil, in particular, connects to Morocco’s ancient olive-growing traditions, which were secondly cultivated by the Phoenicians and remain integral to the region’s agriculture.
Adding zucchini noodles to your Kefta Tagine is keto-friendly because zucchini blends harmoniously with the dish’s spices and flavors. It stands in for couscous or bread, which are customarily used to soak up the sauce.
Kefta Tagine is finished with fresh cilantro and parsley, herbs that are central to Moroccan cuisine.
Kefta Tagine has its roots in communal dining, with families gathering around a tagine pot to savor the meal together.
The flavor, history of spices, warmth, and tradition of shared meals are the essential components of historical Moroccan culinary arts.
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| Keto Moroccan Kefta Lamb Meatballs |
Slow Cooked Keto Moroccan Kefta Lamb Meatballs
Ingredients
1 pound ground lamb meat
1 tablespoon ground cumin
1 tablespoon ground paprika
1 tablespoon ground coriander
1/2 tablespoon sea salt
1/4 tablespoon black pepper
3 cups fresh red tomatoes, diced
3 cloves garlic, minced
2 tablespoons olive oil
1/4 cup fresh parsley, chopped
1/4 cup fresh cilantro, chopped
2 medium zucchini sliced into ribbons
Directions
In a mixing bowl, combine ground beef or lamb with cumin, paprika, coriander, salt, and black pepper. Mix well and shape the mixture into small meatballs, about the size of a walnut.
Pour a tablespoon of olive oil into the crockpot to coat the bottom. Add diced tomatoes, minced garlic, and half of the chopped parsley and cilantro.
Stir to combine these ingredients, then gently place the prepared meatballs into the sauce, ensuring they are submerged. Drizzle the remaining olive oil over the top.
Cover the crockpot and allow the tagine to cook on low heat for about six hours or on high heat for three hours.
During the final 30 minutes of cooking, add the zucchini noodles or ribbons directly into the pot, stirring very gently to coat them in the sauce.
Once the cooking is complete, taste the sauce and adjust the seasoning if needed. Serve the tagine hot, garnished with the remaining fresh parsley and cilantro.
What is a tagine?
In Morocco, the term tagine refers to a slow-cooked stew as well as the pot the stew is made in.
