Tagine Lahm bil Mloukhiya wal Matisha

Beef Tagine with Okra and Tomatoes

To prevent the okra from breaking up during cooking, cooks pass a needle and thread through the conical stems of the pods, tying the thread to form a ‘necklace’. When the tagine has to be stirred or removed, this is lifted with the end of a wooden spoon.

SERVES 4–6

1 kg (2 lb 4 oz) beef chuck steak

3 tablespoons olive oil

1 brown onion, finely chopped

3 garlic cloves, finely chopped

½ teaspoon ground cumin

½ teaspoon ground turmeric

400 g (14 oz) tin chopped, peeled tomatoes

½ teaspoon caster (superfine) sugar

1 cinnamon stick

2 tablespoons chopped flat-leaf (Italian) parsley

1 tablespoon chopped coriander (cilantro) leaves, plus extra leaves, to serve

500 g (1 lb 2 oz) small fresh okra

Trim the steak and cut into 2.5 cm (1 in) pieces. Heat half the olive oil in a large saucepan over medium heat and brown the beef in batches, adding a little more oil as needed. Set aside in a dish.

Reduce the heat to low, add the onion and the remaining olive oil to the pan and cook gently for 10 minutes, or until softened. Add the garlic, cumin and turmeric, cook for a few seconds, then add the tomatoes, sugar, cinnamon stick, 1 teaspoon salt and a good grinding of black pepper. Return all of the beef to the pan and add the parsley, coriander and 250 ml (9 fl oz/1 cup) water. Cover and simmer over low heat for 1½ hours, or until the meat is almost tender.

Meanwhile, trim the ends of the okra stems – do not cut into the pods. Rinse the okra in a colander under cold running water. If necessary, add a little more water to the saucepan so that the meat is almost covered, and place the okra on top. Lightly sprinkle with a little salt, cover and simmer for a further 30 minutes. Do not stir during this stage of cooking.

Scatter with the extra coriander leaves and serve with crusty bread.

One wonders if it is the shape of the okra that appeals to Moroccans, or the taste. Certainly they make the most of its shape when presenting a cooked dish.