Day 143 -- A Taste Of Morocco

One of my most favorite things about changing up my diet has been the chance to try new foods.  When you're stuck in the midst of the Standard American Diet there's not much opportunity to try exotic flavors.  Salt and pepper and the occasional use of cinnamon or basil is about as far as it goes.  But as a vegetarian/vegan you have to seek out new flavors to enhance foods that you eat a lot.  Take the humble garbanzo bean aka chickpea.  I use garbanzos in many different dishes.  They're high in protein and fiber and just generally good for you.  But they're an adaptive little bean as they are used throughout the world in many different dishes.

I found this recipe for Chickpea and Date Tagine from Vegetarian Times and it sounded interesting.  I'd never eaten couscous before, so I was looking forward to that.  And I haven't had dates more than a few times in my life, so I thought that sounded intriguing as well.  And, I'd come to the conclusion that I wasn't getting enough protein in my diet and this has dish has two sources-- one in the whole wheat couscous that I bought and the other in the chickpeas.


Here is all you need to know about a tagine -- both the recipe and the vessel it in which it is cooked and served.  A tajine or tagine is a historically Berber dish from North Africa that is named after the special earthenware pot in which it is cooked.  Typically, a tagine is a rich stew of meat, chicken, or fish, and most often includes vegetables or fruit. Vegetables can also be cooked alone.

The traditional tagine pot is formed entirely of a heavy clay, which is sometimes painted or glazed.  The bottom is a wide, circular shallow dish used for both cooking and serving, while the top of the tagine is distinctively shaped into a rounded dome or cone.  Ceramic tagines are exquisite examples of Moroccan artisanship, and many are show pieces as well as functional cooking vessels.

Because the domed or cone-shaped lid of the tagine traps steam and returns the condensed liquid to the pot, a minimal amount of water is needed to cook meats and vegetables to buttery-tenderness. This method of cooking is very practical in areas where water supplies are limited or where public water is not yet available.  The traditional method of cooking with a tagine is to place the tagine over coals. Large bricks of charcoal are purchased specifically for their ability to stay hot for hours.