Eggplant Tagine

Moroccan Stew of Eggplant and Olives

Serves 4

Tagines are Moroccan gently simmered meat, fruit and vegetable dishes, flavoured with spices like garlic, cumin, ginger, pepper, saffron and turmeric. What curries are to India, Tajines are to Morocco and North Africa.

• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• 2 cups chopped onions
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 1½ teaspoons paprika
• ½ teaspoon ground ginger
• ½ teaspoon ground cumin seeds
• 6 plum tomatoes, chopped
• ½ cup water
• a pinch saffron
• 1 1 eggplant, cut into ½-inch cubes
• ¼ cup raisins
• 1 cup greek-style green olives, pitted
• to taste freshly ground salt and pepper
• 1 cup cooked chickpeas (garbanzo beans)
• ½ lemon, sliced into 4 wedges

Directions

1. In a heavy saucepan, heat the olive oil and the onions over medium heat.
2. Sauté the onions for 5 minutes, stirring frequently.
3. Add the garlic, paprika, ginger and cumin and sauté for 2 minutes longer.
4. Add the tomatoes, water, saffron, eggplant, raisins, olives and salt and pepper.
5. Turn the heat to low, and simmer the tagine for 30 minutes.
6. Add the chickpeas to the vegetables.
7. Taste, and adjust the seasonings.
8. Serve in soup crocks over mounds of quinoa or couscous, with a lemon slice on each serving.

Source: Taken from Ashbury's Aubergines at http://home.att.net/~ashburysaubergines

We fell in love with tagines after having dinner at Dar Tagine, a Moroccan restaurant on Preston Street in little Italy. Since we have two vegetarians in the family, a meatless tagine was in order..

Keywords: Main, Vegetarian