Put the lamb or cubed tofu into a large bowl.
Mix the ground coriander(cilantro),ground ginger,the saffron and 1 tablespoon of the oil,stir into meat or tofu until coated evenly,cover and refrigerate over night
Following day,about one hour before cooking bring a saucepan of water to boil.Add the shallots cook for just 2 minutes,run under cold water,Peel but leaving the root ends intact to keep shallot in one piece.
Heat rest of oil brown the tofu or lamb in batches from all sides in casserole,remove set aside.
Put the garlic into same tagine or casserole stir for about 1 minute then add all the rest of ingredients except dates,honey,salt and pepper.Stir together heat to simmer.Now cover the casserole and cook for 1 and 1/2 hours add about 180C in preheated oven,check and stir every so often.
When cooked add the dates, honey,salt and pepper.The remaining liquid should be thick, cook for another 15 minutes (uncovered if to runny)
You can use crock pot (slow cooker) or any claypot you have,as a good tagine pot can be very expensive.
