Moroccan seven-vegetable tagine

Tagines are the quintessential Moroccan dish. They are omnipresent in every Moroccan restaurant and come in several varieties. Although they are usually meat-heavy, there are modern versions that cater to the vegetarian palate.

To understand the beauty of the dish, we have to understand the cooking technique that was developed hundreds of years ago. The dish is cooked in a conical pot, also called the tagine. The base is flat and shallow and topped by a tall conical structure with a hole in the top. The vegetables are layered on the base first, followed by the meat and then the stock. The tagine is traditionally cooked on an open flame and over an extended period of time. The liquids evaporate and condense on the conical cooler part of the pot and drip back into the dish. in this manner, the dish uses very little stock/water, and the flavours are not allowed to evaporate from the dish. This cooking technique allows the culture that lives in a harsh desert to conserve water, which is such a valuable resource.

This is a delicate dish; the flavours are mild and delicate, as is typical for Moroccan cuisine. The vegetables are tender, and the stock is perfumed with warming North African spices. The onion jam brings the dish together, and the rich sweetness adds to the dish and makes it beautiful. This is a lovely main course and one that is usually enjoyed by the meat-loving guests at the table, too.

Greg and Lucy Malouf have travelled the Middle East extensively, publishing several specialized cookbooks. This cookbook is one of my favourites, a thick volume filled with amazing recipes and photographs. This cookbook will make you want to get out to the closest Mediterranean store (or on Amazon) and order a pantry full of new ingredients for this cuisine. I have cooked a few, definitely not enough, recipes from this book; each is spectacular. I need to complete the collection of their cookbooks; oh, I wish I had a larger cookbook budget. This book is for those who are looking for spectacular Middle Eastern cuisine.

For more delicious recipes from this cookbook, click here.

Ingredients:

4 tablespoons oil

3 medium carrots, cut into batons

1/2 small pumpkin, peeled and cubed

2 turnips, peeled and cubed

1 eggplant, cubed

1 zucchini, wedged

2 sweet potatoes, peeled and wedged

1/2 cup chickpeas, soaked overnight

5 cups water

1 small bay leaf

1 garlic clove, sliced

1 teaspoon salt

1 tablespoon oil

1 tablespoon ginger paste

1 teaspoon red chilli flakes

1 teaspoon ground cumin

1/2 teaspoon ground coriander

1/2 teaspoon pepper

Salt, to taste

4 green cardamom pods

5 garlic cloves, minced

Juice of 1/2-1 lime

3 cups water or stock

1 tablespoon rose water

Onion jam

3 tablespoons butter

6 onions, thinly sliced

1/2 cup sherry or light red wine

1/2 cup port or sweet wine

1/4 cup raisins

Salt, to taste

Couscous, to serve

Mix the oil with ginger, chilli, cumin, coriander, pepper, salt, cardamom, garlic, and lime juice. Set aside. 

Heat the oil for the vegetables and add all the vegetables. Cook on medium heat until the vegetables are deeply coloured, and the eggplant is cooked. Add the spice paste and cook for 2-3 minutes, coating the vegetables with the spices. Add the stock and bring to a boil. Simmer for 5-10 minutes until the vegetables are cooked. Set aside. 

To make the onion jam, add the oil to a frying pan and cook the onions on very low heat for 12 minutes. Add the wine, raisins and salt and cook the dish on very low heat for 30-40 minutes until you have a richly coloured jam. 

To serve, add some of the tagine to a bowl topped with the couscous and a dollop of the onion jam. Serve extra jam on the side.