10 Moroccan gifts under $30

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ZUCCHINI AND OKRA TAGINE

Ingredients for 8 people:

• 200 g okra
• 3 small red onions
• 8 shallots
• 2 large tomatoes
• 1 red pepper
• 2 italian green pepper
• 4 cloves of garlic
• 150 g broiled meat
• 3 tablespoons of chopped parsley
• 1/2 tsp pepper
• 1/2 tsp salt
• pinch of artificial coloring
• 1 beef stock cube

Preparation:  In a tagine, arrange the zucchinis, washed and diced. Add the sliced onions and the shallots, peeled. Peel the tomatoes, remove the pips and dice. Crush the garlic. Remove the head from the washed okra. Cut the pepper into slices. Add salt, pepper, coloring and the beef stock cube.Place broiled meat. Decorate with the pieces of meat and green peppers. Sprinkle with parsley and add a little water. Cover and simmer for around 35 minutes. Check cooking and add water if necessary. Serve hot.

TAGINE OF VEAL WITH PRUNES

In a pressure cooker, lightly fry the mat portions in oil. Add the crushed garlic, one-quarter of the diced onions, the beef stock cube, the ginger, the salt and the two strands of saffron. Cover with water and boil on a high gas until the pressure cooker starts to whistle. Then lower the heat and simmer until the meat in cooked.

Remove the meat once cooked. Put two saucepans of stock by to cook the prunes. Add the remaining sliced onions. Simmer until the onions are tender. Reduce the stock if necessary.

In another pan, place the stock put aside from cooking. Add salt and pepper and the washed prunes. Simmer until tender and add the sugar, cinnamon and the honey.

In a frying pan, saute the almonds, boiled and peeled. Remove from oil and dry. In another frying pan, gently fry the sesame grains without oil.

Place olive oil in a saucepan and add the meat. Heat to boiling point just before serving. In a 40 cm diameter plate, place the portions of meat and , on top the onions and the sauce. Decorate with prunes fried in sesame and the almonds. (Moroccan Recipe from “Traditional cuisine of Morocco” By Alami  Talbi Othman).

Ingredients:

For the meat:

• 1.5 kg shoulder of veal, cut into six portions
• 1 small cup cooking oil
• 1/2 small cup olive oil
• 1 kg onions
• 4 cloves garlic
• 1 tbsp salt
• 1 tsp powdered ginger
• 5 strands saffron
• 1 pinch artificial coloring
• 1 beef stock cube

For the prunes:

• 1 tbsp powdered cinnamon
• 1 kg dried prunes
• 150 g powdered sugar
• 1/2  small cup honey

 

For the decoration:

• 200 g almonds
• 100 g sesame grains

CHICKEN TAGINE WITH CARROTS

In a pan, cook chicken with the spices and the oil for 10 minutes. Add the onions and fry. Cover with water and simmer until meat is cooked. Check water level and add more if necessary.Remove the chicken, add the carrots, chicken stock, lemon and parsley; simmer. At the last moment, add chicken to heat with the olive oil. Serve in 40 cm diameter plate and decorate with the red olives.

Ingredients for 6 people:

• 1 free range chicken
• 1.5 kg small carrots, peeled and sliced
• 250 g onions diced
• 5 cloves of garlic
• 1 tsp ginger
• 1/2 tsp pepper
• 1 tsp salt
• pinch of artificial coloring
• 1 small cup cooking oil
• 1/2 small cup olive oil

MROUZIA TAGINE : Sweet and Spicy

One of the most loved “sweet and savory” Moroccan recipes. It’s a Tagine prepared mainly with lamb, raisins, almonds, honey,  and Ras el hanout, served mostly for holidays and  special gatherings.

Ras el Hanout remains the key spice mixture in m’rouzia and is responsible for its unique taste.

For this tagine with sweetened flavors you need:

•   2 pounds of lamb (preferably shanks) cut into 3” pieces
•   2 medium onions, grated
•   2 cloves of garlic chopped
•   1  ½ cups raisins
•   1 cup of Whole almonds (blanched, peeled and fried)
•   3 tablespoons honey
•   1/3 cup of butter
•   2-3 cups of water

Seasoning:

• ¼ teaspoons saffron threads
• 2 teaspoons Ras el hanout
•  2 teaspoons ground Ginger
• ½ teaspoon turmeric
• 1 teaspoon black pepper
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1 ½ teaspoon salt
• 3 cinnamon sticks

Preparation

Over medium heat, without preheating, melt the butter in a tagine vessel, add the meat, onions, garlic, and seasoning mixture. Mix, add water, cover and let cook for about 2 hours or until the meat is tender (add water as necessary).

When the meat is cooked, add raisins, honey, and some ground cinnamon, cover for another 20 to 30 minutes stirring constantly until the sauce is reduced to thick, viscous syrup.

Serve in the same tagine, trying to arrange the meat in the bottom and the raisins on top. Add the almonds as a garnish.

The MROUZIA can also be cooked in a pressure cooker then served in a beautiful serving tagine.

CHICKEN TAGINE WITH LEMON AND OLIVES

1 chicken cut into serving pieces

2 medium onions, chopped

2 garlic cloves, minced 

½ cup chopped cilantro

½ cup chopped parsley

2 Tbsp fresh lemon juice

1 cup green olives

1 preserved lemon

4 tbsp olive oil

1 cup water

Seasoning

½ tsp Salt (or to taste)

½ White Pepper (or black pepper)

¼ tsp Turmeric

Pinch of Saffron threads

1 tsp ground Ginger

Preparation

Mix all the spices with lemon juice, minced garlic, cilantro, parsley and ¼ of preserved lemon cut into extra small pieces.

Rub the chicken with the mixture and set aside for 30 minutes to marinate.

In a tagine over low to medium heat, warm the oil, add onions and cook stirring until soft. Nicely arrange the chicken pieces, add the rest of the rub, water, cover and cook for 25 min or until chicken is tender.

Remove chicken and set aside. Bring sauce to boil, stirring continuously until thickened.

Put the chicken back into the tagine, pour some sauce on top, then garnish with preserved lemon slices, green olives and some parsley. Cover and cook for 5 more minutes then serve hot directly in tagine.

This tagine is usually served with the fresh and delicious Moroccan bread (I will give you the recipe in a coming post).

BERBER VEGETARIAN TAGINE

This is another Moroccan favorite tagine recipe. You’ll be surprised how Vegetables will taste so different, appetizing, fresh and tasty when cooked in a Moroccan Tagine.

For this slow-cooked flavored tagine you need:

•  3 carrots peeled, sliced
• 3 potatoes peeled, sliced
•  2 medium onions peeled, sliced into rings
• 2 tomatoes, sliced
• ½ cup of green peas
• 3 Tbsp olive oil
• 1 Tbsp chopped cilantro
• ½ cup red Beldi olives (or green olives)
• ½ Preserved lemon
• 1 cup water

Seasoning

• ½  teaspoons salt
• ½  teaspoon black pepper
• ½  teaspoon turmeric
• ¼  of saffron threads
• ½  teaspoon ginger

Preparation

Pour half of the oil into the bottom of the tagine without preheating, add in layers:  onions, carrots, potatoes, then arrange tomatoes on top, sprinkle green peas and chopped cilantro as a garnish. Decorate with olives and preserved lemon slices.

Mix all the spices in a bowl with some water , pour over the vegetables, add the water from one side of tagine (not from the top to not wash the spices out), cover and let cook over low-medium heat for about 30 to 35 min or until vegetables are tender.

It’s important to baste the vegetables from time to time to prevent it from drying and to keep the flavor throughout.

Drizzle the Tagine with the rest of the oil prior serving, and enjoy hot with some bread, the traditional way.

CURING & SEASONING A TAGINE!

We receive quite a few questions about tagine curing and cooking. Not only the “how” questions but the “why” as well. Below, I am including a step by step directions on how to cure a tagine at home without any special equipment and just little space.

HOW TO CURE A TAGINE?
It is necessary that it is seasoned before initial use. Please follow these simple instructions below for maximum results:

1. WATER: The new tagine needs to be first submerged in water for at least 1 hour. If you can’t submerge it, place it in a clean sink bowl and slowly fill the base of the tagine with water until it stops absorbing it. Place the tagine lid on top (as shown) and fill it as well. Let stand for 30 minutes to allow full absorption of water into the clay. Empty excess water and set to dry for 5 minutes.

2. OLIVE OIL: All you need is 3 table spoons of olive oil, 2 for the base and one for the lid. Spread the olive oil throughout the base and lid with your hand as shown. 

3: HEAT: While the tagine is still wet with the oil applied to it, place it in the oven as shown in the first or second photos, and set temperature at 350 F and leave for 45 minutes. The evaporation of moisture creates a vaccum effect to pull the olive oil into the clay which glazes and seals it. Then leave the tagine cool down in the turned off oven.
The last photo shows a cured tagine ready for use. 

WHY CURE A TAGINE?
Curing clay pots is as cultural as the cooking itself. If you look up curing clay pots, you will find a variety of processes using a multitude of ingredients ranging from spinach to buttermilk to mustard oil. In order to strengthen (less susceptible to thermal shock) your cooking tagine and get optimum taste that tagine lovers seek at every use, it is necessary to use the process explained above. The use of olive oil has a dual effect. It is as important for sealing clay as it is for flavoring Moroccan cooking. 

TAGINE CLEANING
It is recommended that you hand wash your tagine, as it has not been tested for dishwashers. Do not leave submerged in soapy water. 

 

 

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