Lamb and Aubergine Tagine

ALTHOUGH this is a lengthy dish to make, cooking-time wise, it really makes up for it in its simplicity and little prep-work. Another great idea is to pop it in your slow cooker (after sautéing the onions first in a pan, just add the whole shebang to the slow cooker pot), and allow it to cook slowly for 3 hours.

4 medium yellow/brown onions 1 tbs of ghee

8 lamb knuckle pieces

3 cloves garlic

3 tsp ground coriander seeds 2 tsp ground cumin

1 tsp sweet paprika

½ tsp sumac

Salt and pepper to taste 2 medium aubergines ½ cup water

400g jar tomato passata 1 tbs tomato pureé ½ cup full fat Greek yoghurt 1 cup chickpeas, cooked and well drained Sauté the onions in ghee for at least 20 minutes over low heat until they start turning golden (longer, if you have the patience for it).

Then add the knuckles, garlic, spices and salt, and brown the meat for about 15 minutes on medium heat, turning them as needed.

Add the aubergines to the pot, then add the water and turn to low heat and allow to simmer for 50 minutes with the lid on.

After 40 minutes of cooking time, add the pasta sauce, tomato pureé, yoghurt and chickpeas, and simmer for a further 20 minutes with the lid off, stirring through gently once or twice during that time.

Serve it on some pre-soaked, well-cooked brown basmati rice, or quinoa for a low-carb option. Serves 4.