# Algerian Lham Lahlou with Prunes

> The whole balance lies in **not letting the sweetness drown the dish**: the prunes cook alone in a light syrup, the lamb cooks with only cinnamon and onion, and they come together in the last 5 minutes. Cooked together from the start, the lamb itself turns too sweet.

**Algerian Cuisine · 120 min · 6 servings · 520 kcal per serving**

Lham lahlou (sweet meat) is an Algerian dish served at weddings and major occasions. Tender lamb with dried prunes, toasted almonds and orange blossom water — this pairing of sweet and savoury is an Andalusian inheritance found across the Maghreb.

## Ingredients


### The meat
- 1 kg — lamb, cut up
- 2 — onions, grated
- 0.25 cup — oil or ghee
- 1 tbsp — ground cinnamon
- 1 stick — cinnamon
- 1 tsp — black pepper
- 1 tsp — salt
- 1 pinch — saffron or turmeric

### The prunes
- 400 g — pitted dried prunes
- 3 tbsp — sugar
- 1 tsp — cinnamon
- 1 tbsp — orange blossom water
- 1 tbsp — butter

### Garnish
- 1 cup — blanched almonds, toasted
- 2 tbsp — toasted sesame seeds

## Method

1. **Brown the lamb** — Brown the lamb with the grated onion in the oil over medium heat for 10 minutes until coloured and the onion has softened.
2. **The spices** — Add the ground cinnamon, cinnamon stick, pepper, saffron and salt, and stir for two minutes.
3. **Slow cook** — Add water to cover the lamb and simmer covered over low heat for an hour and a half until the lamb is falling-tender and the sauce has reduced to a glossy coating.
4. **Prunes alone** — In another pan, put the prunes with a cup of water, the sugar and the cinnamon, and simmer for 15 minutes until they plump and the syrup thickens. Add the butter and orange blossom water.
5. **Toast the almonds** — Fry the almonds in a little oil until golden, and drain.
6. **Combine** — Add the prunes with their syrup over the lamb in the **last 5 minutes only**, and fold gently so the prunes do not break up.
7. **Serve** — Serve in a wide dish with the prunes over the lamb, scattered with the almonds and sesame. Eaten with bread or white rice.

## Tips

- Cook the prunes separately. Cooking them with the lamb from the start sweetens the whole dish and breaks them up.
- Orange blossom water off the heat — heat drives off its aroma.
- Toast and scatter the almonds at serving time, or they lose their crunch.
- If the prunes are very dry or salty-tasting, soak them in warm water 15 minutes before cooking.

## FAQ

### Is the dish very sweet?
It should not be — the sweetness stays in the prunes, while the lamb remains savoury and seasoned with cinnamon. Cooking them separately is what creates that balance.

### Can I use dried apricots?
Yes, and it comes out lighter and slightly sharper. Some regions mix prunes, apricots and raisins together.

### Where does the dish come from?
Pairing meat with dried fruit is an Andalusian inheritance that travelled to the Maghreb, and similar versions exist in Morocco (tagine with prunes) and Tunisia.

---

Source: https://hanakoleah.com/en/algerian-cuisine/algerian-lham-lahlou-with-prunes
Edited by: Marwa Mohamed
Last updated: 2026-10-29