Moroccan beef with dates and chickpeas

Instructions

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1 Heat the oven to 140°C/fan 120°C/ gas 1. Heat 1 teaspoon of the olive oil in a large, non-stick frying pan over a medium-high heat. Brown the meat, turning occasionally, for 3–4 min (you may need to do this in batches).  Transfer the beef to a lidded casserole dish or tagine. Add 3 tablespoons water to the frying pan and swirl it around, scraping up any meaty residue. Add this deglazing liquid to the casserole dish or tagine.

2 Heat the remaining oil in the frying pan, then fry the onion for 2–3 min, turning every so often, until golden. Add the garlic, ginger, cinnamon, cumin and saffron and fry for 1 min more until fragrant. Scrape the onion and spice mixture into the casserole or tagine, then deglaze the pan again with 3 tablespoons water and add the liquid to the casserole.

4 Pour over the stock, ensuring the meat is just covered. Stir in the dates, then cover the casserole with a lid and transfer to the oven. After 1 hr, stir in the chickpeas, then return to the oven for a further 1 hr 30 min or until the meat is tender.

5 Meanwhile, make cauliflower ‘rice’ by steaming the florets for 2–3 min until just tender. Remove from the heat and leave to steam-dry, then whiz in a food processor to break up into rice-like grains (or coarsely grate).