Tagine

Tagine, a iconic cooking vessel and a type of dish that is famous in Morocco and North Africa. It is a stew with distinct flavours, vegetables and/or meat. The main recipe here will discuss a vegetarian tagine, with updates for other variants below as time goes on.

Ingredients and Equipment

If you have a Tagine, great! Otherwise use a dutch oven.

• Carrot, medallions (½ cup)
• Potato, cubed (1 cup)
• Pumpkin / Squash, cubed (1 cups)
• Red Bell pepper, chopped (1)
• Zuccini, ½ medallions (1 zucchini)
• Garlic, minced (2-4 Cloves)
• Onion, chopped (1 medium)
• Green beans, (½-1 cup)
• Apricots, 4
• Prunes, 4
• Preserved Lemon (½)
• Cilantro, ribbons (1-2 tbsp)
• Cinnamon powder or stick, (½ tsp or 3 cm)
• Cumin seeds (1 tsp)
• Corriander seeds (1 tsp)
• Paprika (½-1 tsp)
• Kashmiri Chilli powder (to taste) OPTIONAL
• Turmeric powder (½ tsp)
• Vegetable Broth (1 cup)
• Ghee / Oil (1 tbsp) For Cooking
• Tomato paste (1 tbsp)
• Water, as needed
• Oil (1 tbsp) For marinade
• Salt & pepper to taste, Recommend starting with ½ tsp each

Substitutions

• You can use whatever vegetables you want, but this is the versions I like and can get locally.
• If you don’t have Presevered Lemon, you could use Chunky Lime peppper sauce
• Cilantro can be replaced or mixed with parsley and mint
• Vegetable broth can be made with 1 boullion cube in 1 cup of water
• Green beans can be substituted with ½ cup of peas or canned beans

Marinade

• Add spices: corriander, cumin, salt, pepper, paprika, chilli powder, turmeric
  • Cinnamon if it is a powder
• Add preserved lemon (chopped finely)
• Add Garlic
• Add Cilantro
• Add 1-2 tbsp of oil
• Add 1-2 tbsp of water
• Mix until homogenous

Method

• Heat up a large pot on medium-low heat
• Add ghee or oil
• Add onions, cook until translucent
• Mix tomato paste with 1-2 tbsp of water, add to pot and stir
  • Cook for 1-2 minutes, avoid burning (add more water)
  • If using a cinnamon stick, add here
• Add ½ the marinade and mix, let cook for 1-2 minutes
• Add Squash, Potato, and Carrots, mix and cook for 1-2 minutes
  • If using frozen squash, add later
  • If using a tagine, mix carefully
• Add in layers, zucchini, bell peppers and optional peas, green beans or canned beans
• Drizzle remaining marinade on top
• Add 1 cup of vegetable broth
• Allow to come to simmer
• Cover, and lower heat to low (but higher than simmering)
• After 20 minutes, mix vegetables around
• Add prunes and apricots, and mix
• Cook for 5 more minutes with lid on

fin.

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