Moroccan Tajine Recipe – Moroccan Food
For anyone who explores Moroccan gastronomy, sooner or later they encounter the tajine. This iconic dish comes in a curvilinear-shaped vessel whose ochre walls hold a thousand and one surprises for the palate. Here, we will explain everything about tajine, from its origins to making your own at home.
What is Moroccan Tajine
“Morocco Food”
Tajine (also written tajin or tagin) comes from the Amazigh (Berber) tradition. In the local language, it sounds like tashin. Strictly speaking, tajine refers to the cone-shaped clay pot in which the ingredients cook. The pot gives the dish its name. Its wide base and conical lid trap heat and steam, cooking the food without drying it out.
History of Tajine
The earliest records of tajine appear in the 8th century under Caliph Harun al-Rashid of the Abbasid dynasty. Over centuries, migrations and cultural exchanges shaped tajine into the dish we know today.
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Berbers contributed the base dish.
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Arab conquerors added spices and dried fruits from the Middle East and Asia.
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Moors introduced olives and citrus fruits.
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Sephardic Jews created their own variations.
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Ingredients from the Americas, like tomatoes, enriched the dish.
Common spices and ingredients include ginger, cumin, black pepper, turmeric, cinnamon, salt, dates, olives, plums, lemon, dried apricots, figs, almonds, walnuts, and tomatoes. In Moroccan souks, you can find all of these, often in one vibrant stall.
Types of Tajine “Morocco Food”
You can make tajine however you like. Common varieties include:
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Chicken tajine – often with lemon and olives.
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Vegetable tajine – perfect for vegetarians.
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Lamb or beef tajine – sometimes sweetened with prunes, dates, or honey.
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Kefta tajine – flat balls of spiced minced meat.
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Egg and tomato tajine – also called Berber tajine.
Coastal towns often feature fish tajine, usually with tuna or sardines. Moroccan tajine never includes pork.
Regional differences produce endless combinations. Traditional favorites include:
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Lamb with dates, raisins, prunes, and almonds.
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Chicken with lemon and olives.
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Chicken with dried apricots and kefta.
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Egg and tomato tajine.
Moroccans eat lamb tajine during Eid al-Adha, a festival commemorating Abraham’s willingness to sacrifice his son Ishmael.
Tajine as a Vessel
Traditional tajine consists of two pieces: a shallow clay base and a conical lid. Glazed earthenware tolerates the oven and microwaves. Terracotta tajines can have smooth or decorative lids with geometric patterns.
Modern tajines also come in enameled cast iron, which works on fire or in the oven. Traditionally, Moroccans cook tajine over a majmar, a portable clay brazier filled with embers. Avoid placing unglazed clay tajine directly on high flames—it will crack.
Where to Buy a Moroccan Tajine
Online stores like Amazon, eBay, and Mercado Libre sell tajines worldwide.
If you visit Morocco, buy one in a souk for authenticity. Tajine merchants often appear in spice markets within the medina. Handmade clay tajines cost less than online versions, and haggling is customary.
Eating Tajine in Morocco “Morocco Food”
Authentic tajine cooks in clay pots over embers. In tourist areas, restaurants often bake it in metal containers and serve it in a ceramic tajine for presentation. Ask locals for recommended places to taste authentic tajine. Prices usually range between 50 and 90 Moroccan dirhams.
How to Prepare Tajine
Tajine requires patience. Cook the ingredients in their own juices, using little water or oil. Steam rises inside the conical lid, condenses, and moistens the food, blending flavors naturally.
Once cooked, serve tajine uncovered in its pot. Diners eat with their hands using khubz bread, a round flatbread, to scoop the food. Sharing from one dish strengthens bonds, a custom rooted in Moroccan culture and many other Eastern traditions.
