Tunisian makrouna

Directions

1. Make the garlic paste by mashing the garlic with the coriander (or coriander and spice mixture) with a mortar and pestle (you can add a little salt to help with the mashing). If you don’t have a mortar and pestle, you can use a wide bowl and fork.
2. In a large pot on medium heat, fill with vegetable oil until the bottom of the pot is completely covered. Add in your garlic/coriander mixture, tomato paste, paprika, cayenne, salt, and black pepper and bay leaves. Bring to a strong simmer and stir around for a few minutes making sure to adjust the heat so it doesn’t burn or stick to the bottom. If it starts to stick or get dry, add a little bit of water and keep stirring.
3. Turn your heat up to medium high and add your meat, letting it slightly sear. Stir it around for a few minutes until the outside has seared and it’s not leaking any juices. Add enough hot water to the pot to cover all of the meat, stir, and bring to a boil. Once boiling, cover the pot and turn down to low/simmer and let cook, stirring every 10 minutes.
4. Cook for about an hour or until the lamb is perfectly tender and the sauce has thickened. Towards the end of cooking the sauce, you can cook your pasta according to the package instructions, or you can do it when you turn the sauce off and are letting it sit. Turn off the heat and let sit for a few minutes, skim the oil, and remove the bay leaves. To serve, remove the lamb and set aside temporarily in a separate dish. Pour the sauce over the pasta, making sure to coat every noodle, then place the lamb pieces on top of the pasta. {Optional- you can fry the Anaheim peppers in vegetable oil and add them on top of the pasta as well.} Enjoy ☺