Algerian cuisine - Tajines and Dishes
Kefta with Eggs { Memou fi hdjer Omou}
Salem Hello
A delicious tagine recipe prepared with beef, to avoid lamb, which my children don't like. I had the idea of making my dumplings with quail eggs, something that is not common and usual in this traditional Algerian dish, which is very present in major events and festivals. You can therefore opt for chicken eggs if you wish.
It's also present during the holy month, and ranked among the first favorite dishes during the month of Ramadan.... You can make it in a red sauce version and also accompany green olives, vegetables, cardoon, zucchini, chickpeas. In my region of Algeria, we use more white than red sauce for these festive dishes...
Tajine Kefta with Eggs
This is a very old dish from Andalusian cuisine, known as œil de colombo or œil du camel, and our Tunisian neighbors also call it ein sbaniouria (Spanish eye). There are many names, but the best-known is Memou fi hdjer omou. Always accompanied by homemade bread, matlouh or khobz eddar, this dish is a real treat.
You can find a variety of tagines for Ramadan or every day, chicken tagine with agave syrup HERE, also tagine el hout HERE and even an index of tagines and dishes for more recipes HERE.
Ingredients for the sauce :
A few pieces of beef
1 onion
2-3 cloves garlic, degermed
1 tbsp Smen or clarified butter
2 tbsp olive oil
Bunch of parsley
salt and pepper
Ras el hanout yellow
1/2 tsp ginger powder
1/2 tsp cumin
Preferably hot water, so as not to spoil the cooking of the meat
1 tbsp cornstarch (optional, just in case the sauce is too liquid)
1 lemon
Ingredients for the minced meat balls:
400 g minced meat, preferably finely chopped, depending on number of people
6 to 8 quail eggs (always allow more in case you damage the egg during cooking)
1 small onion, finely grated
2 garlic cloves, finely grated
1 tbsp frik powder (dried and roasted green wheat), or very fine rice powder, or breadcrumbs if you don't have them
2 tbsp finely chopped parsley
1 egg or more to pick up the ground meat
2 tbsp olive oil
1 tsp cumin
salt and pepper.
Preparation of minced meatballs and quail eggs:
1- Cook the quail eggs as usual in water and vinegar or salt, the cooking time less than that of - chicken eggs, about 4 minutes no more, and immediately run them under cold water to stop cooking. Remove the shells and set aside...
2- Place the minced meat, salt, pepper, cumin, grated onion and garlic, finely chopped parsley, frik powder, egg and mix well with a fork or, at best, by hand. Form balls of meat dough in the palm of your hand, hollow out the dough and add the quail egg, close tightly and seal to prevent the meat from opening during cooking (hence the importance of adding the frik powder and egg to the meat).
Preparing the white sauce :
1- Pour the oil and smen into an earthenware tagine or casserole dish, or even a sauté pan, and brown the pieces of meat on both sides. Add grated or finely sliced onion and garlic, and sauté for 3 to 5 minutes over low heat.
2- Season with salt and pepper, then add the spices. Add the water needed to cook the meat and obtain a creamy sauce, even better if you have a stock pot. Once the pieces of meat are cooked, plunge the ground meatballs into the sauce and leave to cook.
3- If you have a liquid sauce, dissolve the cornstarch in a little cold water, add it to the sauce and cook for 5 minutes to reduce the sauce. Once everything is cooked, arrange the meat in the middle, surround it with meatballs cut in half to reveal the egg, drizzle generously with sauce, sprinkle with chopped parsley and garnish with a lemon slice.
Tajine, kefta, meatballs, quail egg, Algerian dish, Algeria, Morocco, healthy cooking