This baby potato and jackfruit tagine from The Vegan Middle Eastern Cookbook by Noha Elbadry is a vegan take on Moroccan chicken tagine. A tagine sits somewhere between a stew and a curry, with warm spices, tender vegetables, and a sauce that soaks into grains or bread. Here, jackfruit replaces chicken, and baby potatoes make the dish filling.

Ras el hanout, saffron, garlic, shallots, ginger, and cilantro start the base of the tagine. Jackfruit and potatoes cook with preserved lemons, kalamata olives, green olives, and dried apricots. The preserved lemons and olives give the dish a sharp, briny flavor, while the apricots add a little sweetness. Adding lemon juice at the end helps to make the finished dish bright.

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Serve this baby potato and jackfruit tagine for dinner with couscous, another cooked grain, or pita bread. Pomegranate arils and parsley add color before serving. It is a good dish to make when you want a plant-based dinner with Moroccan flavors and enough substance for a full meal.

Reprinted with permission from The Vegan Middle Eastern Cookbook by Noha Elbadry-Cloud. Page Street Publishing Co. 2023. Photo credit: Noha Elbadry-Cloud.

Method for baby potato and jackfruit tagine

This vegan tagine uses jackfruit, baby potatoes, ras el hanout, saffron, preserved lemons, olives, and dried apricots. It makes a flavorful Moroccan-inspired dinner to serve with couscous, grains, or pita bread.

baby potato and jackfruit tagine with preserved lemon, olives, spices, and more

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Servings

Ingredients

For the Tagine

4 medium cloves garlic peeled
2 medium shallots peeled and halved
2 tbsp (12 g) grated fresh ginger
1 cup (8 g) fresh cilantro, leaves and stems
1½ tbsp (12 g) Ras el Hanout (see Note)
½ tsp saffron
3 tbsp (45 ml) extra virgin olive oil
2 (20-oz [585-g]) cans young green jackfruit in brine drained then sliced into thin strips
1½ lb (680 g) baby potatoes halved
2 medium preserved lemons pulp removed and rind thinly sliced
12 medium kalamata olives pitted and halved
10 medium green olives pitted and halved
¼ cup (48 g) dried apricots thinly sliced
1 tsp sea salt
½ tsp white pepper optional
2 tbsp (30 ml) lemon juice

To Serve

Pomegranate arils
Chopped fresh parsley
Cooked couscous or other cooked grain
Pita bread

Instructions

Heat the olive oil in a tagine or a heavy bottomed pan over medium-low heat. Once the oil is shimmery and crackling, add the mixture and fry, stirring it every now and then to prevent sticking, for 2 to 3 minutes, or until the garlic is lightly golden.
Add the jackfruit and baby potatoes and continue cooking for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally, until lightly golden at the edges. Add 1¼ cups (295 ml) of water and stir, making sure to scrape any brown bits on the bottom of the pan.
Add the preserved lemons, olives and apricots. Stir, cover, turn the heat to high and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to low and simmer for 15 to 20 minutes, or until most of the water has been absorbed and the potatoes are fork tender.
Add the salt and pepper (if using), mix well and cook for 1 minute. Remove the tagine from the heat and stir in the lemon juice. Serve topped with pomegranate arils and parsley with a side of couscous and/or pita bread.

If you don’t have Ras el Hanout on hand, substitute with 1 teaspoon of ground coriander, ½ teaspoon ground turmeric, ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon, ½ teaspoon ground nutmeg, ½ teaspoon black pepper, ¼ teaspoon ground turmeric, ¼ teaspoon ground cardamom and ¼ teaspoon ground cloves.

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