This popular meatless tangine recipe can be found in many cultures adding different vegetables from tomatoes to spinach and with or without cayenne pepper. Rick doesn’t care for the cayenne pepper so I didn’t kick this one up.
This is a Moroccan recipe that is prepared on the more meager days. Probably cooked on days when the family couldn’t afford chicken so maybe they told the children that “there was a chicken but it flew away”. This is a hearty dish that is very fragrant with all the spices and coriander.
Dajat Tarat - The Chicken That Flew Away
Ingredients:
2 tbsp olive oil
1 medium onion, chopped
1 extra large sweet potato or yam, peeled and cubed
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp cumin
1/2 tsp allspice
Large pinch of saffron (about 20 threads)
1/2 cup fresh coriander (cilantro), chopped
sea salt and pepper to taste
rice or couscous
Directions:
Heat a large sauce pan over medium heat and add oil. Add the onion and cook until translucent, then add the sweet potato, chickpeas, spices coriander and salt and pepper to taste. Pour in just enough water to cover the vegetables. Bring to a boil and simmer, uncovered, for 20 minutes, or until the sweet potato is tender. There should be a small amount of the fragrant broth left, but it should be significantly reduced. Serve with rice or couscous.
