North African Turkey Meatball and Butternut Squash Tagine

This North African Turkey Meatball and Butternut Squash Tagine will take you on a culinary journey to Morocco. The sweetness of the butternut squash and golden raisins combine beautifully with the savory flavors of the tomato and Turkey and aromatic spices. Feel free to exchange ground turkey for ground beef or lamb. Enjoy!

North African Turkey Meatball and Butternut Squash Tagine

 

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Prep time

30 mins

Cook time

1 hour

Total time

1 hour 30 mins

 

Author: Chef Eli

Recipe type: Main Course

Cuisine: North African

Ingredients

• 2 tbsp EVOO
• 1.5 lb ground turkey
• ¼ cup Panko bread crumbs
• 2 eggs
• 1 tsp ground coriander
• 2 tsp ground cumin
• 2 tsp cinnamon
• 1 tsp turmeric
• 1 tbsp honey
• ½ tsp cayenne pepper
• 1 medium yellow onion, diced
• 2 cloves of garlic, roughly chopped
• 1 red bell pepper, diced
• ⅓ cup white wine
• 2 tbsp tomato paste
• 1 large can diced tomatoes
• 2 cups butternut squash, diced
• ⅓ cup golden raisins
• ¼ cup cilantro
• Salt and Pepper to taste

Instructions

1. In a large bowl combine ground turkey, Panko bread crumbs, eggs, ½ tsp coriander, 1 tsp cumin, 1 tsp cinnamon, and a pinch of salt and pepper. In a large pot (preferably a Dutch oven), heat the EVOO on medium-high heat.
2. Form ground turkey mixture into small meatballs (between one and two inch diameter) and sauté in EVOO. Let the meat balls cook for about 1 minute on each side or until they brown a bit. Once meatballs have browned on all sides, remove the meatballs from the heat. Note: It's okay if the meatballs are not completely cooked through.
3. In the same pot, sauté the onions for about five minutes until they become translucent. Add garlic, bell pepper, ½ tsp coriander, 1 tsp cumin, 1 tsp cinnamon, 1 tsp turmeric, ½ tsp cayenne pepper, and honey. Saute for another 3 minutes, and then add the white wine to deglaze. Scrape all of the bits from the bottom of the pan and let reduce for 3 more minutes. Reduce heat to low.
4. Add tomatoes, tomato paste, butternut squash, raisins, and a large pinch of salt and pepper. Stir until evenly combined.
5. Gently place meatballs on top of the tomato mixture. Cover and cook on low heat for about an hour or until butternut squash is tender. Mix in almost all of the cilantro prior to serving, saving some for garnishing.
6. Serve with couscous or rice. Enjoy!

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