Middle Eastern Lamb and Apricots Stew

Put the cubed eggplant into a colander sprinkle with salt and leave for 30 minutes

Heat the oil in a flameproof casserole dish, add the onions and garlic and fry for a 5 to 6 minutes until softened

Stir in the ground cinnamon and cloves and fry for 1 minute

Add the lamb and cook for 5 to 6 minutes stirring occasionally until well browned

Rinse, drain and pat dry the eggplant, add to the pan and cook for 3 to 4 minutes, stirring well

Add the tomatoes 300 mL water, apricots and the seasonings.

Bring to the boil, then cover and simmer gently for about 45 minutes

Stir in the chickpeas and honey and cook for a further 20 minutes, or until the lamb is tender.

Serve the stew accompanied by couscous with the olive oil fried almonds and chopped parsley stirred in