The tajine Berbère combines flavours of the Atlas. In this traditional Berber dish vegetables, spices and fresh herbs are stewed together. A rather simple but very tasty dish!

We often make this tagine when travelling, because a few vegetables from the local souk (market) is all you need. You can add meat if you wish to, but it is certainly not a must. Although the dish is best prepared in a tajine on charcoal, you can also use a regular casserole and a modern heat source.

Ingredients

2 onions
3 potatoes
2 carrots
2 tomatoes
1 zucchini
1 green pepper
dried spices such as ground ginger, saffron and pepper
fresh herbs such as coriander and parsley
pinch of salt
vegetable broth
ghee (or butter or oil)

Recipe

1. Cut the onion into rings and the vegetables into strips. Melt the ghee (butter or oil) in the tagine and sauté the onion. Add a little water to make sure the onion doesn’t stick.
2. If you are using meat, roast the meat first and then add the spices. This prevents the spices from burning when roasting the meat. You can use a piece of lamb, chicken or cow. Preferably a piece of meat with bone. Use a sharp knife to make four incisions in the meat, down to the bone.
3. If you don’t use meat, add a few saffron threads and 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger once the onion is sautéed. Then arrange the vegetables in the tagine. Start with a layer of carrots, then a layer of potatoes, followed by the zucchini and tomato. For each layer, turn piece by piece clockwise until you have completed the tajine.
4. Finally put the green pepper on top. You can also add a bundle of parsley and coriander. Drizzle with a little olive oil, salt and pepper and add 200 ml of broth. Let it steam until the vegetables are cooked. Check whether there is any moisture left in the tagine while cooking, so that it does not boil dry. Serve with a piece of fresh Moroccan bread.

Bessaha!