Cauliflower and Beef Tagine

You may think this is just another tagine. You may think, aren’t they all the same after all. But no, no, no. They may seem like they are the same recipe with a different vegetable every time, but they are not. There are subtle differences, such as the choice or amount of spices, the aromatics, the amount of liquid, and more.

This tagine is certainly different. It has a tomato sauce base and its vegetable is not cooked in the sauce but dipped in egg, fried and plated on top of the stew at the very end. This results in more textural contrast and very happy taste buds.

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CAULIFLOWER AND BEEF TAGINE RECIPE

Yield: 4 SERVINGS

Prep Time: 10 MIN

Cook Time: 50 MIN

Ingredients:

For the stew

3 tablespoons olive oil

2 large tomatoes, grated

1 large yellow onion, grated

2 garlic cloves, minced or pressed

1 ½ teaspoons ground ginger

1 teaspoon paprika powder

½ teaspoon ground cumin

½ teaspoon sea salt, or to taste

½ teaspoon freshly ground pepper

1 pound stewing beef, cut into 2-inch chunks

2 cups water

2 tablespoons minced parsley

For the cauliflower

1/2 cup canola or grapeseed oil for frying

2 eggs

Salt and freshly ground pepper

1 small cauliflower head, core and green parts removed

Directions:

Place the olive oil, grated tomatoes, onion, garlic, ginger, paprika, cumin, salt and pepper in a medium pot over medium heat. Sauté until the tomato and onion look a little wilted, 3 minutes. Add the beef chunks and sauté, turning once, 5 minutes. Add the water. Turn up the heat to medium-high and cover with a lid. Cook the stew until the meat is tender and the sauce reduced, 45 to 50 minutes. Remove the pot from heat. Stir in the parsley.

Meanwhile, prepare the cauliflower. Heat the oil in a medium skillet over medium high heat until very hot (350-375 degrees F). Whip the eggs, salt, and pepper in a medium bowl. Separate the cauliflower head into small florets. Dip the florets in the eggs. Fry them in the oil, turning occasionally, until golden brown on all sides, 6 to 10 minutes.

Plate the stew. Top it with fried cauliflower florets.

Other cauliflower recipes:
Cream of cauliflower soup

Other tagine recipes:
Eggplant and beef tagine

Lemony fennel and beef tagine

Chicken tagine with prunes and toasted almonds

 

13 Responses to “Cauliflower and Beef Tagine”

  1. 1

    Christine @ Fresh Local and Best — 01/22/2012 @ 11:04 am

    I am very interested in making this tangine, and just getting into tangines to begin with. I love the idea of meat tenderizing in this spicy tomato base. It looks like I can make this tangine in a pot, however if I wanted to buy a tangine pot, do you have recommendations of brands and where to buy from?

  2. 2

    Monique — 01/22/2012 @ 11:33 am

    The photo spoke to me right away.>i knew it was different! That’s how great your shot is:)

  3. 3

    Marc @ NoRecipes — 01/22/2012 @ 6:50 pm

    It’s been a while since I’ve visited your site! Love the new look! Yours is the second blog I’ve seen done by Purr that I’ve loved,starting to think about having mine redone too!

    Also this looks delicious. I love that you fried the cauliflower first. Frying really brings out the flavor and sweetness!

  4. 4

    Kerstin — 01/22/2012 @ 9:09 pm

    Mmm, looks like the perfect comforting dish to warm up with on a cold night!

  5. 5

    Nisrine — 01/23/2012 @ 8:08 pm

    Christine, Emile Henry tagines are a great choice but if you don’t want to spend the money, try a simple unglazed tagine like this one (which you’ll have to season before use): http://www.amazon.com/Tagine-Cooking-Unglazed-Zamouri-Spices/dp/B002UEO5SM/ref=sr_1_6?ie=UTF8&qid=1327370501&sr=8-6

  6. 6

    Mary — 01/23/2012 @ 11:51 pm

    That photo lured me in. The recipe sounds delicious and it would be a perfect dinner for these cold and wet winterdays. Blessings…Mary

  7. 7

    Tom @ Easy Recipes Free — 01/24/2012 @ 12:38 pm

    I love both, cauliflower and beef so this is the win win situation and especially
    with lots of pepper and hot paprika if possible, I like spicy food.
    Couldn’t even look at cauliflower when I was younger but I guess it comes with time.

  8. 8

    Barbara — 01/24/2012 @ 2:49 pm

    I adore your tagines, Nisrine. This one is amazing. I’ve been debating buying one at Williams Sonoma….I may have to do that soon!

  9. 9

    Kristen Porter — 01/24/2012 @ 3:16 pm

    Amazing……I added a little red wine at the end and it made it even better….another dynamo!

  10. 10

    Nadji — 01/25/2012 @ 10:52 am

    Tu as raison : aucun tajine ne ressemble à l’autre. Une chose en commun : ils sont tous délicieux.
    A très bientôt

  11. 11

    Nisrine — 01/25/2012 @ 2:42 pm

    Kristen–Wonderful that it worked for you! I may have to try adding a little red wine next time. Thank you.

  12. 12

    Eliana — 01/26/2012 @ 1:49 pm

    This is one STUNNING dish. The combination of flavors cannot be better.

  13. 13

    Katherine Martinelli — 02/01/2012 @ 10:52 am

    This looks absolutely delicious! I love tangines of all kinds and this one looks particularly fabulous. The fried cauliflower on top is a great touch. I’m making your Spicy Moroccan Chicken for dinner tonight – can’t wait!

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