I’ve created a recipe for in a tajine with vegetarian chicken and chocolate. You might have a tajine at home, so you’re looking for inspiration on what to make in it. But it could also be that you don’t have a tajine jet. On this page I’m also telling you more about what a tajine is and what it does.
This tajine recipe with vegetarian chicken and chocolate is one of my favorite tajine dishes!
Tajine
A tajine is an earth ware pot in which you can cook dishes. A dish cooked in a tajine is also called tajine. You use a tajine to make slow cooked stews. It originated in countries like Morocco and Algeria. Nowadays you can buy tajines all over the world. The shape is always the same, the high cone shaped cover makes sure that the condensed steam returns to the base. But the quality and design of the tajines for sale vary widely. My favorite tajine is this one from Emile Henry. Emile Henry is a French company that has been making hand-made earth ware since 1850. Besides that I think they’re super pretty, they’re also high quality and suitable for gas, electronic and induction. Their tajines come in two sizes. The small one (27 cm) is suitable for dishes up to 4 people, and the bigger one (32 cm) is suitable for 6-8 people. Click here to order your Emile Henry Tajine.
I used my Emile Henry tajine to make this vegetarian tajine with veggie chicken and chocolate. It might sound unusual to use chocolate as an ingredient in a savory main dish, but it’s actually a great combination with (vegetarian) chicken. In Mexico chicken and chocolate is also a popular combination, but this dish is more in the North African style.
Recipe vegetarian chicken and chocolate in Tajine
Ingredients (for 6 people):
50 grams margarine
320 grams vegetarian chicken
2 bell peppers
75 grams raisins
30 grams dark chocolate
2 red onions
2 cloves garlic
2 teaspoons cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground cilantro (coriander)
1 teaspoon chili powder
1 vegetable stock cube
100 ml water
100 ml soy cream
Optional:
a handful of unsalted nuts
fresh parsley
Finely chop the onion and garlic. Chop the bell peppers and chocolate.
Put the margarine in the tajine. Place the tajine on low heat, when the margarine is liquid turn the fire to medium heat.
Add the onion and garlic. When glazed, add all the spices and simmer for a minute. Add the chicken and coat it in the marinated base that you’ve created in the tajine. Add the bell pepper and stir.
Add the water and vegetable stock cube. Put on the lid and turn the fire low. Let it simmer for a few minutes. Add the soy cream, raisins and the chocolate. Put the lid on again and let it simmer for 15 minutes.
Optionally you can sprinkle some mixed nuts and fresh parsley over the vegetarian chicken and chocolate stew before serving.
I served this dish with brown rice.
