No, no not real porcupine. (I do know some people who eat it!) They just look like porcupine balls! I first saw this recipe on Choumicha’s TV show. For those unfamiliar with her, she has a cooking show on 2M in Morocco. I love watching because I learn more and more vocabulary every time I watch! My husband also told me that this same technique is used with fish – by cooking the fish first, then breaking apart and forming meatballs. I’ll be trying that soon!
Moroccan Porcupine Tajine
Ingredients
1 lb ground chicken
1 lb ground chicken
1/2 tsp hot paprika
1 tbsp cumin
1/2 tsp tumeric
1 tsp each salt and pepper
2 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp ginger powder
1 tsp onion powder
1/2 cup bread crumbs
1 cup rice
1 onion cut to thick slices
1 zucchini sliced thinly
2-3 small red potatoes sliced thinly
1 large tomato sliced thinly
Meatballs:
Mix spices into chicken mixture with bread crumbs. Ground chicken is sometimes has a lot of moisture and more bread crumbs may be needed. Meatballs should be about the size of a golf ball, (but could be made smaller if you would like). Once rolled out, roll each meatball into the dry rice. Set aside.
In a large pot, add 1-2 tsp vegetable oil to the bottom of the pan and the onions in a flat layer on the bottom of the pan. Saute on medium heat until onions are translucent. Add potatoes in a single layer on top of the onions. Next add the eggplant and then the tomatoes. They should all be in a single layer. Add the meatballs on top of the vegetables. Pour 1 cup of charmoula around the pan. Then add water so that it comes up just above the vegetables. Cover the pan with the lid and cook on medium high heat, for 20 minutes. Check the water level and rice. It will take between 20 -45 minutes to cook depending on the thickness of the potatoes and the size of the pan.
Serve on plates. This can be eaten with bread but is easier to eat with a fork! A Moroccan dish that isn’t communal!
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I was showing Brooklynn these neat Porcupine tajine balls tonight. I said.. Oh Amanda has to make me those sometime. Brooklynn says, “She has got to make me more of her bread.” LOL
We just made some this weekend! We’ll have to plan a play date soon!