Steam-Time, Dream-Time!

Zucchina Rotonda, Bulgur & Verdure Miste in Tagine
Tagine of Round Zucchini, Bulgur & Mixed Vegetables

  

And yet another, "everything in one pot" recipe for this evening... or in one Tagine, to be precise! Simple stuff- transformed into something delicious, slightly exotic and perfect for an Autumn evening.

I bought one of those lovely, round zucchini at the market yesterday- they have so much more flavor and are more fun than the regular ones- don't you think? They also, always kind-of tempt you into stuffing them too! But tonight I decided I needed a little more variety in my zucchini recipes... and so I came up with this idea instead!

 

Not nearly as exotic as it may seem, the other ingredients in this dish are very ordinary ones to- basically, just what I happened to have in my refrigerator today! But with just a little Chorba spice, some fresh ginger and a handful of raisins, my little zucchini and my cupful of bulgur became something really quite special...

 

  
So here we go! 1 round zucchini, 4" of leek, 1 Spring onion, 1 small carrot, 1 small red pepper, a handful of cherry tomatoes, a handful of raisins, a little ginger, parsley and thyme and a teaspoon of Chorba spices were the ingredients of the night!

 

I bought my blend of "Chorba" spices, but the ingredients are also rather simple ones, if you can't happen to find it... you can make it easily yourselves! Chorba is the word for "soup" in most Arabic cultures and the blends of spice are as varied as blends of curry are in India. In mine were included, turmeric, oregano, ginger, coriander, cumin, garlic and fennel... lovely and aromatic- but at the same time, as I say, spices you most probably already have in your cupboard.

 

I chopped the ginger rather finely, the other ingredients too- especially the carrots, which would take longest too cook... and the zucchini I cut into thin wedges as well.

 

I chopped the ginger rather finely, the other ingredients too- especially the carrots, which would take longest too cook... and the zucchini I cut into thin wedges as well.

 

I then added the zucchini slices, the halved cherry tomatoes, the red pepper and the leek and seasoned them with the chorba spice.

 

I stirred everything through, allowed them to fry together for 2-3 minutes and then added the bulgur, raisins, salt and pepper and enough water to cover the bulgur by about 1"- not too much, as the zucchini will produce moisture and the tagine will keep it all trapped in nicely.

 

I placed on the lid, reduced the heat to a low simmer and let it continue steaming away for 15 minutes... and then- open sesame! There it was! All finished and fluffy and aromatic and delicious! Just like that!

 

All that was missing was a sprinkle of parsley and a tiny squeeze of lemon juice- and my one-pot supper was served!

 

The nice thing about this is that it is wonderfully perfumed and aromatic, but mild and pleasant- especially with the sweetness of the carrots and raisins- it's just feel-good food! And I know you will if you try it!

 
              
Why settle for boring-old, same-old vegetable dishes, when something like this is so easy to make! Enjoy!