Kefta Tajine with Olives: A Traditional Algerian Recipe

I invite you to taste an authentic and tasty traditional Maghrebi dish: kefta tajine with olives.

Ingredients · Servings 6

400g of minced beef
1/2 onion
1 clove of garlic
1/4 tsp ginger
1/4 tsp turmeric
1/2 tsp ras el hanout
1/4 tsp black pepper
1 teaspoon of salt
a few sprigs of chopped parsley
2 tablespoons of breadcrumbs
300g pitted green olives
150g of mushrooms (fresh or canned)
1/2 onion
2 cloves of garlic
1/2 tsp turmeric
1/4 tsp ginger
1/4 tsp black pepper
A few sprigs of parsley
1/2 preserved lemon, well rinsed of salt (well rinsed of salt)
1 tablespoon of flour
3 to 4 tablespoons of extra virgin oil

Method · 1 h

If the olives are soft and melting, desalinate them in cold water, changing the water every 20 to 30 minutes.
Alternatively, boil the olives in water with lemon slices, changing the water at least twice.
Grate the onion and garlic and place in a large bowl.
Add the minced beef and the spices: turmeric, ginger and ras el hanout.
Season with salt and black pepper.
Add the breadcrumbs and chopped parsley.
Mix the preparation by hand, crushing it between your fingers.
Work this mixture for at least 10 minutes, until it is completely smooth. This will ensure the meatballs are very tender.
Form balls of approximately 30 to 35 grams.
In a pot, sauté the grated onion and garlic.
Add the sliced mushrooms and sauté.
Add the spices: ras el hanout, ginger, turmeric and black pepper.
Add the chopped parsley.
When the mushrooms are well sautéed, add the equivalent of half a liter of boiling water.
Add the half preserved lemon, well rinsed and sliced.
After boiling, add the olives and let it cook. If necessary, add a little boiling water.
When the olives are cooked to taste, return the keftas to the sauce. Let it simmer.
Take a ladleful of the sauce, add 1 tablespoon of flour, mix well and pour back into the sauce.
Let it cook for a little while and remove the tagine from the heat. The sauce should be quite reduced and creamy.

A tagine with intense flavors of fragrant minced meat balls simmered in a spicy sauce, accompanied by plump and tender olives and crunchy and tasty mushrooms.

It's a perfect dish for a warm family meal or an evening with friends.

Tajine with olives and kefta (minced meat balls)

Hello everyone, if you are a fan of traditional cuisine, this kefta tagine with olives will delight your taste buds!

This family dish, emblematic of Algerian and Moroccan cuisine, comes in several versions, each with its own subtleties.

Today, I am sharing with you an Algerian recipe for kefta in white sauce, which I often make when my husband is not at home.

He prefers tajine zitoune with red sauce. But this version with white sauce, milder and more fragrant, delights my children.

The difference between the Moroccan kefta tajine with olives and the Algerian version lies mainly in the spices and ingredients.

In Algeria, cumin, black pepper and sometimes a touch of ground coriander are preferred.

In Morocco, the recipe is enriched with turmeric, ginger, and ras el hanout. Furthermore, Moroccans often add chermoula, as well as preserved lemons and potatoes, for an explosion of flavors.

This meatball and olive tagine is a must-have on the family menu!

We form tastyly spiced minced meat balls, which are fried in a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil before preparing a fragrant sauce with olives and mushrooms.

Easy to make and absolutely irresistible, this dish is a delight to enjoy with good homemade bread. Be warned, you might just go back for seconds!