| To the uninitiated cooking with a tajine can be | | | | spice blend from Morocco, and often may contain as |
| intimidating, even to a non-vegetarian. But on the | | | | many as 30 different ingredients made mainly of |
| contrary cooking with a tajine is easy once you | | | | exotic spices and aromatic herbs. It is also often |
| understand how it works. | | | | referred to as Moroccan spice. |
| Tajine works similar to a traditional slow cooker or a | | | | Next food group to go into the tajine is chunky pieces |
| Dutch oven, i.e. it is designed to cook over a low but | | | | of tofu or tempeh and other vegetables such as |
| constant heat source over a long period of time. | | | | pumpkin, zucchini or eggplant cut into 2.5cm x 2.5cm |
| For best result, food is stacked accordingly in the tajine; | | | | cubes. Pile the food in the middle of the tajine like a |
| food requiring more cooking time is placed first | | | | pyramid on top of the layer root vegetables. |
| followed by other ingredients. Oil is optional when | | | | And to hold and bring together all the diverse flavours |
| cooking with a tajine, but for best result use good | | | | and ingredients, are two or three medium size |
| quality olive oil. Place one or two tablespoons just | | | | chopped tomatoes generous flavoured with salt, |
| enough to thinly coat the base of the tajine. | | | | pepper and chopped fresh coriander or flat Italian |
| Root vegetables like potatoes and carrots are best | | | | parsley. Place the chopped tomatoes, herbs, salt and |
| placed at the base by slicing the vegetables to about | | | | pepper and mix well before spooning the mixture |
| 1cm thick and arrange them to completely cover the | | | | evenly over the vegetables. |
| bottom of the tajine. Between layering, flavour the | | | | Cover the tajine, place over a low heat source and |
| vegetable slices with flavoured salt and pepper. | | | | allow to simmer very slowly. Depending on the volume |
| For an authentic Moroccan taste, dust a pinch of | | | | of food, cooking time varies between 90 minutes to |
| ras-el-hanout before placing the next layer of sliced | | | | 120 minutes. As a result dishes cooked in a tajine is |
| vegetables and repeat until all the vegetables are | | | | moist and tender with a soft melt-in-your-mouth |
| neatly layered. In ArabicRas-el-hanout means "top of | | | | texture. |
| the shop" or "head of the market." Itis an exquisite | | | | |