About This Dish
A hearty, home-style tagine popular across Morocco's urban centers. Tender chunks of beef are braised with saffron and ginger until they fall apart, then paired with golden potatoes and briny purple olives. Unlike the more elaborate celebration tagines, this is the everyday version that Moroccan families cook for regular weekday dinners. The dish is simple but deeply satisfying, relying on quality beef and the slow marriage of a few key spices rather than a long ingredients list. It is often the first tagine recipe a new bride learns in Morocco.
Ingredients
- 750 g Beef chuck, cut into chunks
- 4 medium Potatoes, peeled and quartered
- 200 g Purple or green olives
- 2 large Onions, grated
- 3 cloves Garlic, minced
- 1/4 tsp Saffron threads
- 1 tsp Ground ginger
- 1/2 tsp Ground turmeric
- 3 tbsp Olive oil
- 1/4 cup Fresh parsley, chopped
- 1/4 cup Fresh cilantro, chopped
- to taste Salt and pepper
- 2 cups Water
Instructions
- 1
Season beef with salt, pepper, ginger, turmeric, and saffron.
- 2
In a tagine or heavy pot, heat olive oil. Add grated onions and garlic, cook 5 minutes.
- 3
Add seasoned beef chunks and brown lightly on all sides.
- 4
Add parsley, cilantro, and water. Bring to a simmer.
- 5
Cover and cook over low heat for 1.5 hours until beef is very tender.
- 6
Add quartered potatoes and olives. Cook covered for 30 more minutes.
- 7
Uncover and cook 10 minutes to thicken the sauce.
- 8
Serve hot from the tagine with bread.
Tips & Tricks
- Chuck or shoulder cuts have the best marbling for slow cooking.
- Rinse olives before adding to reduce saltiness if desired.
- The longer this cooks, the better it tastes — patience is the secret ingredient.