- 100g dried dates
- 70g flaked almonds
- 2 onion
- 2 red pepper
- 2 garlic clove
- A handful of flat leaf parsley
- 500g beef stir-fry strips
- 4 tsp ras al hanut
- 800g chopped tomatoes
- 300g wholewheat couscous
- 500ml boiling water
- ½ tbsp olive oil
- Sea salt
- Measuring jug
- Large pan or casserole dish with lid
- 1.
Fill your kettle and boil it. Roughly chop the dried dates and pop them into a heatproof jug. Pour in 200ml boiling water and set aside to soak.
- 2.
Place a large pan or a casserole dish on a medium heat and tip in the flaked almonds. Fry, stirring, for 1-2 mins till golden brown. Tip the toasted almonds into a bowl and set aside. Take the pan off the heat.
- 3.
Peel and finely chop the onion. Halve the pepper, scoop out the seeds and white pith, then roughly chop it. Peel and grate or crush the garlic. Finely chop the parsley stalks. Set the leaves to one side.
- 4.
Put the pan back on the a medium-high heat and add ½ tbsp olive oil and the beef strips. Fry for 3-4 mins, turning the beef over a few times, till it’s browned. Scoop the beef out of the pan and set aside on a plate or in a bowl.
- 5.
Add another ½ tbsp olive oil to the pan along with the chopped veg. Season with a pinch of salt and fry, stirring often, for 5 mins till the veg start to look glossy. Stir in the garlic and parsley stalks with 2 tsp ras al hanut. Tip the beef back into the pan, pouring in any resting juices from the plate. Cook, stirring, for 2 mins.
- 6.
Tip the chopped tomatoes into the pan. Pour in the dates and their stock. Stir in half the toasted almonds (keep the rest for later). Pop on a lid, bring to the boil, then turn the heat down and simmer for 20 mins till the beef is tender when pressed with a fork. Stir every so often to stop the tagine from sticking.
- 7.
Meanwhile, tip the couscous into a heatproof bowl. Pour in 300ml hot water from the kettle. Stir with a fork, then cover the bowl with a plate and set aside for 15 mins to soak. The couscous will soak up the water and become tender.
- 8.
Taste the tagine and add a pinch more salt if you think it needs it. Fluff the couscous up with a fork and divide it between 2 warm plates or bowls. Top with the tagine and garnish with the remaining flaked almonds and the parsley leaves to serve.