Mrouzia is one of the most important dishes of Moroccan cuisine. It is a sweet and salty meat tagine, combining a ras el hanout blend of spices with honey, cinnamon and almonds.
Add the raisins to a bowl and cover them with water so they plump over the next hour or so.
In a large saucepan, heat the oil to medium and quickly fry the almonds (1-2 minutes) remove and place on paper towel to drain.
Then add the onions to the oil and saute the onions at medium heat. Add the lamb chunks, occasionally stirring until all sides are browned (about 5 minutes).
Add all the remaining ingredients (except for the raisins, almonds, cinnamon and honey) and boil for 30 minutes. Add a little water if necessary to keep the meat submerged.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
If you have a tagine, this is the time to transfer the contents into your tagine at this point, drain and add raisins, cinnamon and honey. Make sure there is enough liquid to cover the raisins. Cover and cook in the oven at 350 degrees for 2-3 hours, adding water as necessary, until the lamb meat is tender, raisins are plump and the sauce is reduced to a thick, syrup-like consistency.If you do not have a tagine, add the raisins, cinnamon and honey to the pot, lower heat to medium low and cook covered for another 1-2 hours, until the lamb meat is tender, raisins are plump and the sauce is reduced to a thick, syrup-like consistency.
When ready to serve, place meat on platter first, cover with sauce and add the fried almonds on top. Serve with couscous or rice.
Notes
This delicious stew or “Tagine” is served at Passover. Cooked over charcoal, it acquires a special savor. If charcoal is not available use an oven to complete the cooking.French: (TAGINE D'AGNEAU AUX RAISINS SECS ET AUX OIGNONS)Note: If you don't own a tagine, you can always use a slow cooker, Dutch oven or pot.