Moroccan Kefta Mkaouara

This beloved Moroccan dish — spiced lamb meatballs simmered in a cumin-scented tomato sauce and finished with eggs poached directly in the bubbling pot — is as comforting as cooking gets. The name refers to the eggs nestled in the sauce like little moons. It is eaten communally from the pan with torn bread, a ritual that turns dinner into something more social. Street stalls in Djemaa el-Fna square in Marrakech serve it in small clay pots late into the night.

Serves: 4

Ingredients

Kefta (meatballs):

• 500g (1 lb) ground lamb (or beef)
• 1 small onion, grated
• 2 tbsp fresh parsley, finely chopped
• 1 tsp ground cumin
• 1 tsp sweet paprika
• ½ tsp ground cinnamon
• ½ tsp cayenne pepper
• Salt and black pepper

Tomato sauce:

• 600g (21 oz) ripe tomatoes, grated or blended
• 1 small onion, grated
• 3 garlic cloves, minced
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 1 tsp ground cumin
• 1 tsp sweet paprika
• ½ tsp ground cinnamon
• 4 eggs
• Fresh cilantro to garnish

Instructions

1. Combine all kefta ingredients in a bowl. Mix thoroughly with your hands for 2 minutes until the mixture is cohesive. Roll into walnut-sized balls, about 3 cm (1.2 in) diameter. You should have 20–24 meatballs.
2. For the sauce, heat olive oil in a wide, deep skillet or tagine over medium heat. Cook grated onion and garlic for 6 minutes until softened and beginning to colour.
3. Add cumin, paprika, and cinnamon and stir for 1 minute. Pour in grated tomatoes, season with salt, and simmer uncovered for 15 minutes until the sauce deepens and thickens.
4. Nestle the raw meatballs into the sauce. Cover and cook for 12 minutes, turning meatballs gently once halfway through.
5. Make four wells in the sauce among the meatballs. Crack an egg into each well. Cover and cook for 5–7 minutes until whites are set but yolks are still runny.
6. Scatter cilantro over the top and bring the pan straight to the table.

Cook's Notes: Grating the tomatoes on a box grater gives the sauce a silky texture without blending. The eggs can be cooked to your preference — longer for fully set yolks. Crusty Moroccan khobz bread is the ideal accompaniment for scooping.