North African Lamb with Chili, Ginger, Chickpeas and Couscous
June 25, 2026
Launching in his breakout 1999 debut The Naked Chef, this North African Lamb with Chili, Ginger, Chickpeas and Couscous remains one of Jamie Oliver's most iconic recipes. This dish simplifies traditional North African tagine flavors into an easy, one-pot comfort meal. I made this for a client. I really do not like lamb, so I gave the searing of the meat task to my husband. Next time, I will make it with beef. I did get rave reviews from my in-house tasters! I have no idea how I survived living in England for all those years, having to endure the dreaded Sunday lunch leg of lamb!
- Prep: 15 mins
- Cook: 1 hr 30 mins
- Yields: 4 - 6 Servings
Ingredients
15-ounce can chickpeas, drained
2 large firm eggplants, cut into cubes, sprinkled with salt, and set aside
10 fresh plum tomatoes, peeled, or a 15-ounce can of plum tomatoes
1½ tablespoons coriander seeds
4 neck of lamb fillets, cut into 2-inch pieces (I used Trader Joe’s boneless leg of lamb)
4 medium fresh chillis, chopped, or less if you don't want the heat (I used jalepeño)
2 tablespoons fresh ginger, grated
Directions
1Drain the soaked chickpeas. Cover with water, bring to the boil, and cook until tender. Chop the eggplants into rough, chunky 1-inch dice and place in a colander over the sink. Sprinkle with salt (about 1 tablespoon). This will dehydrate the eggplants and drain away some of the bitter juices (leave for about ½ hour). Blanch the tomatoes in boiling water, remove the skins, seeds, and quarter.
2Using a mortar and pestle, pound the coriander seeds, cumin seeds, and 1 teaspoon salt, then put into a bowl and add 12 gratings of nutmeg. Toss the lamb into the mixture and stir well to coat. Heat a large casserole over medium-high heat, add 2 tablespoons of olive oil, and sear the lamb until dark golden brown.
3Gently squeeze the excess liquid from the eggplant (this will take away most of the salt. Add 2 more tablespoons of olive oil to your hot pan and fry the eggplant with the lamb for about 2 minutes, keeping everything on the move. Add the chilli and ginger and cook for 3 minutes. Then add the garlic and cook for 1 minute (still stirring, so as not to overcolor. Add the vinegar and tomatoes and shake now and again. Turn the heat down to a gentle simmer, place a lid on, and leave for 1 hour. Add the cooked chickpeas and simmer for a further 5 minutes. The tomatoes should have melted to a sauce, and the eggplant should be sweet. Check the seasoning and stir in the parsley and cilantro. Serve with couscous.
Recipe adapted from The Naked Chef by Jamie Oliver.
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