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A Taste of Morocco

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Pictured Recipe: Moroccan Vegetable Soup (Chorba)

Healthy Moroccan Recipes | Visiting Morocco

Ras el hanout is the seasoning that perfumes t’faya. As I start gently caramelizing the onions along with raisins and ras el hanout for my t’faya, I am quickly wrapped in a cloud of cinnamon-scented steam that fills my airy riverfront kitchen. Slow cooking is the essence of any tagine, whether in the eponymous earthenware dish capped with its cone-shaped lid or in a heavy-bottomed pan. Today, I opt for the stove rather than cook the tagine over a bed of glowing coals, which is the traditional method.

I stir the t’faya until the onions are velvety soft, and then I tuck the fish into the moist tangle. As I put the finishing touches on it, I can almost hear Tita whispering in my ear. “Don’t rush the process: the longer the onions cook, the sweeter they will taste. Cut the fish in small chunks so they are easier to eat. And be liberal with the almonds. You know the Arab proverb: ‘First you eat with your eyes!’”

“Yes, Tita! I haven’t forgotten the presentation!” I say to myself, as I garnish my dish with a final sprinkling of toasted slivered almonds.

Kitty Morse was born in Casablanca and now splits her time between Morocco and San Diego. She is the author of nine cookbooks, five of them on Moroccan cuisine. She is at work on a memoir of Morocco with recipes. Visit her website: kittymorse.com.

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Healthy Moroccan Recipes

• Okra & Chickpea Tagine
• Kefta
• Moroccan Vegetable Soup (Chorba)
• Roast Chicken with Preserved Lemon & Braised Vegetables
• Fish Couscous with Onion T’faya
• Ras el Hanout
• Ratatouille à la Casablancaise
• Roasted Root Vegetables with Chermoula
• More Healthy Mediterranean Recipes to Try