I used to be very apprehensive about different ethnic foods until I studied abroad. The first time I had a tagine was in France and I wondered where it had been all my life! That first tagine was the furthest thing from being vegetarian-friendly, as it came with every kind of meat you can imagine, but an all-vegetable version is just as good. This is a great meal for when you have friends coming over or to take to a potluck.
Recipe information
Yield
serves 10
Ingredients
Preparation
Step 1
Peel the onion and cut into 1/4-inch pieces. Peel and finely chop the garlic or pass it through a garlic press. Peel the carrots and cut into 1/8-inch-thick slices. Trim the ends of the zucchini and yellow squash and discard. Cut them in half lengthwise and slice widthwise into 1/4-inch-thick pieces. Cut the bell pepper in half, remove the seeds and membranes, and cut into 1/2-inch pieces. Peel the eggplants and cut into 1/2-inch cubes.
Step 2
Place the oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add the onion and garlic and cook, stirring occasionally, for 3 minutes. Add the carrots, zucchini, squash, bell pepper, cumin, cinnamon, crushed red pepper, salt, and 1 cup of the water and cook, stirring occasionally, for 5 minutes. Stir in the eggplant, the raisins, the tomatoes with their juice, and the chickpeas with their liquid. Cover and cook over medium-low heat, stirring occasionally, for 25 to 30 minutes, or until the vegetables are tender.
Step 3
Meanwhile, bring the remaining 2 1/2 cups of water to a boil. Stir in the couscous, cover, and remove from the heat. Let stand for 5 minutes, then fluff with a fork.
Step 4
Spoon some of the couscous into the center of each plate and top with the vegetable tagine.
cooking 101
Step 5
A tagine is a Moroccan stew named after the special pot in which it’s cooked. A traditional tagine pot is made of heavy clay and consists of a base that’s circular and flat with low sides, and a large cone-shaped cover that rests inside the base during cooking. The design of the cover returns the condensation to the bottom. The cover is removed and the base is taken to the table for serving.
