Moroccan Tajine Vegetables

I love cooking ethnic cuisine from all over the world. My mom got me a tajine a few years ago from Le Creuset. A tajine/tagine is dish that has its roots in Berber cuisine from Morocco, in North Africa. The tajine clay pot is beautiful. I’ve only ever made Moroccan vegetables in it, though. I don’t even know where I found the recipe. All I know is that I tried it soon after I got the pot, and I never looked back. The vegetables are so incredibly easy to make. All cooked in layers in one pot. The vegetables are layered by cooking time, with the longest to cook at the bottom. Then a liquid and fresh herb seasoning is poured all over, and you pretty much just let it cook slowly for a couple hours. The taste is incredible. I imagine you could use a regular pot with no problems. Just make sure your liquid doesn’t run out. BE SURE YOU DO NOT OVERCROWD! You must be able to put the lid completely and comfortably on the tajine.

I served these vegetables with a side of couscous and peri peri chicken. I stuck with the African theme. Ha. Anyways, yeah. It makes a great side dish. I highly suggest you try it!

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Ingredients:

• 1 onion, sliced into rounds
• Any vegetables you want
• 3 tbsp oil
• 1 cup water
• 2 tsp garlic, minced/crushed
• 1 tsp ginger powder
• 1/4 tsp red chili powder
• 1/2 tsp turmeric powder
• salt and pepper to taste
• a few sprigs of fresh thyme
• 1-2 tbsp fresh rosemary

To Make:

Heat the oil in the tajine on low to medium low, depending on how low your stove gets. If you are using a regular pot, you can probably set it a little higher.

Once oil is hot, add the onions and cook till translucent.

Layer the vegetables in the tajine. The root vegetables will go on the bottom. So, layer the vegetables in the order of cooking time, with the longest cooking time vegetables going on the bottom.

In a bowl or glass, whatever, stir together the water with the rest of the spices except for the thyme. Pour over the vegetables. Add the thyme on top of the vegetables. Put the lid on and cook for around 2 hours, or until vegetables are cooked. Stick a fork in the root vegetables to check if they are done. Occasionally, check the liquid level. Spoon some liquid over the vegetables.

Once done, take the lid off and turn the heat up and let the sauce thicken for around 10 minutes. The end.