My first moroccan tajine: Tagine with onions and raisins

My first tagine

"Hadga" is the Moroccan term to designate a very careful woman in the management of her home, especially in the three aspects that take the most time in the day of a Moroccan woman: cleaning, cooking and children.

Unfortunately (or luckily!), I do not belong to this category of women. I am completely ordinary (I devote moderate time to the management of my home) and it is all the better for you who read me now and who are trying to make your first tagine, because there is no better cooking teacher than a novice. It starts from scratch and does not assume that such and such a thing is obvious. You have to detail everything while remaining simple.

So let's go without further ado to your onions and pots!

I chose the basic tagine which I consider to be the fastest. Although it is easy to make, the mixture between sweet and savory will make you pass for a cheaf ...! In any case, that's what happened to me once...

The tagine that I offer is called: Tagine with onions and raisins.

Ingredients for 4 persons:

• Half a kilo of meat, ideally tender.
• 2 medium onions cut into thin strips.
• 3 crushed garlic cloves.
• 125 g raisins.
• 5 tablespoons of olive oil for cooking.
• About 1 liter of water for cooking too.
• A teaspoon of salt.
• A teaspoon of ginger.
• One teaspoon of turmeric.
• 5 filaments of saffron.
• 3 tablespoons caster sugar (ideally replace with the same amount of honey).
• A teaspoon of cinnamon (Warning! Add this condiment only when I ask you, not at the same time as the other spices. But don't panic: even if you make this mistake, the difference of taste will only be perceptible by connoisseurs!

NB: I opted for 1/2 kg of meat for 4 people (at the rate of 125g per person of meat) for a moderate consumption of meat. If you like meat, take a kilogram, be aware of course to double the amount of the other ingredients.

Preparation:

Cut the onions into strips and crush the garlic cloves. Brown them in a pot with a little water and olive oil. Season with salt, ginger, turmeric and saffron. Place the meat in the middle. Simmer a bit then add the water. Cook over medium heat for about an hour. Check that the meat is cooked through. Add the caster sugar, cinnamon and raisins. Uncover the pot (remove the lid) to promote the evaporation of the remaining water. Serve hot.

Bessaha! (Health! In Arabic)

I hope the recipe as presented will encourage you to make your first attempt at Moroccan cuisine. In any case, don't hesitate if you have any questions or comments! I will try to answer it within 24 hours.