Moroccan stew, or tagine, is a savory dish with over a dozen herbs and spices, subtropical vegetables, and optional lamb or chickpeas. It is traditionally cooked in a cone-shaped terracotta vessel called a tagine, but can also be made in a slow cooker or large pot. Spices like cumin, cinnamon, and coriander are important, as are vegetables like onions, squash, and tomatoes. Couscous or rice is added at the end, and some Moroccans like to mix in yoghurt before eating.
Moroccan stew, also called tagine, is a savory dish that typically contains over a dozen herbs and spices and a range of subtropical vegetables. The word tagine refers to a cone-shaped terracotta vessel in which Moroccan stew is traditionally simmered. Meat eaters usually include small strips of lamb, although vegetarians can substitute the lamb for chickpeas for protein. Some varieties also include dried fruit and couscous or rice. Many Moroccan natives like to mix a spoonful of yoghurt into their dish before dinner.
Tagines are the traditional container for cooking and serving Moroccan stew, which is why the stew is often named after this container. These two-piece earthenware dishes usually feature a bowl-shaped bottom half that has a depression in the lip and a cone-shaped lid that fits snugly against the bottom. Steam and heat circulate inside the tagine, causing the contents to simmer slowly and allowing all the flavors to mingle. Different types of tagines can be heated over a smoking flame or inside an oven. They require very little heat to allow you to cook a stew.
Cooks without access to a tagine can use a slow cooker or large pot to make a Moroccan stew. The only requirements for these vessels are that they have a tight-fitting lid and can maintain a small cushion of air above the food. In most cases, Moroccan stew needs to simmer for more than an hour, so those with busy schedules may want to use a slow cooker instead of a tagine or stockpot.
Spices are one of the most important parts of a Moroccan stew recipe. Not only do they impart flavor, they also pick up the flavors of all the other ingredients. The list of spices cooks can use is long and varied. Some common ones include cumin, cinnamon, coriander, black pepper, coriander, curry powder, saffron, turmeric, cardamom and paprika. Most of these spices are used dried and in powder form, although many recipes call for fresh herbs. Cooks can use all of these spices in moderation or play with just a few in each batch of stew.
The vegetables in the Moroccan stew are just as important and varied as the spices. Yellow onions, hard squash like butternut and acorn, and tomatoes are almost always included in a recipe. Green olives, red potatoes, dried fruit and chickpeas, although traditionally used in this dish, are optional.
These vegetables are typically simmered in chicken or vegetable stock with spices. The couscous or rice is cooked separately and added when the stew is almost done. If the cook includes lamb, he usually cuts it into flakes and adds it at the beginning of the cooking process. This way, the meat absorbs much of the flavor of the stew, is fully cooked, and doesn’t taste out of place.
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