Today’s guest post is from Sarah of Curious Cuisiniere. She put together this Tunisian tajine that is a far departure from the Moroccan version! You can find more great recipes on her website!
We loved Amanda’s idea to get other bloggers around the world together to create dishes from the Arab world for Ramadan. And, we are incredibly excited to be sharing a recipe from Tunisia with you today.
I’ll be the first to admit that we didn’t know much about many of the countries on the list that Amanda gave us. But, each of the countries we researched from the list had one thing in common: an incredibly unique and proud food culture. It made us want to dive even more into the cuisines of this area because it is a wealth of flavors and dishes that, in the States, we haven’t been exposed to.
Take the recipe we’re sharing with you today. When we hear the word tajine, we think about the Moroccan stew that is cooked in a vessel by the same name. However, in Tunisia, tajine refers to something completely different. In fact, it is more of a spiced quiche or fritatta that is served cold as a finger food or appetizer.
The Tunisian tajine starts with a mixture of meat, onions and spices that is sautéed. A starch is added (potato or bread crumbs) and then, off the heat, it is combined with fresh parsley and a mixture of beaten eggs and cheese. Then, it is baked until firm.
The spices in the meat fill the house with a wonderful aroma while it bakes. And, while it is traditionally served cold, we couldn’t wait and dove right into the dish while. We loved the combination of chicken and potatoes with the light creaminess of the eggs and cheese.
With such unique spices, this would make a wonderful brunch dish here in the States, when you’re looking for something a bit different than the standard egg and bacon breakfast bake.
Tunisian Tajine
Tunisian Tajine
Ingredients
- 1 tsp oil
- 1 onion, diced
- ½ lb chicken breast, diced (roughly one breast)
- 1 ½ tsp coriander seed, ground
- ¾ tsp cumin
- ¾ tsp salt
- ½ tsp caraway seed
- ¼ tsp red pepper flakes
- ¼ tsp black pepper
- ¼ c water
- 1 russet potato, peeled and diced
- 8 eggs, beaten
- 3 oz (3/4 c) Swiss cheese, grated (or other white cheese like Gruyere, Monterey Jack, Gouda, etc)
- ½ c fresh parsley, chopped
Instructions
Preheat the oven to 350⁰F.
In a large skillet, heat oil. Add diced onions and sauté over medium high heat for 2-3 minutes, until they begin to soften. Add diced chicken and spices.
Mix to combine.
Add the water to the skillet and simmer until the liquid has evaporated, 2-3 min.
Add the potatoes and sauté for an additional 2-3 minutes, until
slightly tender.
Remove the mixture from the heat and pour it into a greased 8x8 baking dish.
Mix the beaten eggs with 2 oz (1/2 c) of grated cheese and the chopped parsley.
Pour the eggs over the chicken mixture in the baking dish. Top with the remaining 1 oz of grated cheese.
Bake the tajine for 35 minutes, or until the middle is set and the top is golden.
Remove from the oven and let the tajine rest for 10 minutes before cutting. (This will help it set and make it easier to cut.)
Cut the tajine into 8 rectangles and serve warm or cold.
Roz
Saturday 23rd of May 2020
the actual recipe is no where to be found on either site ...
Amanda Mouttaki
Monday 1st of June 2020
Sorry about that - I've just gone in and fixed it.
Explore the Mediterranean with the Best Recipes and Cookbooks - FamilyNano
Monday 13th of February 2017
[…] Tunisian Tajine […]
Sarah | Curious Cuisiniere
Thursday 16th of July 2015
Thanks for sharing our dish Amanda! We had fun learning about it and exploring some different flavors.