The Differences Between Tagine and Couscous + Beef Tagine Recipe
Eating Moroccan food in Morocco was an eye-opening experience after growing up in the Western world. Nothing was what we thought it. For example, the tagine I had in the US is actually couscous. In Morocco, tagine is NOT served over couscous. Instead, it’s more like the Moroccan version of pot roast.
The two aren’t even cooked in the same types of cooking pot. Having had the pleasure of eating beef, chicken, fish, and vegetable tagines in Morocco, the hubby and I thought we would share the differences. Plus, the beef tagine recipe I learned to make from our Airbnb host, Aziz.
Tagine Pot 
Couscous Pot
The Pots: Tagine vs Couscoussier
Traditionally, Tagine cooks in a conical-shaped two-piece terra-cotta pot, called a tagine, over low heat with meat, veggies, olive oil and spices. Couscous cooks in a couscoussier, a taller metal pot with a slightly bulbous base, a steamer and a lid. The meat and liquids below, steam the couscous, during the cooking process.
While these dishes do taste slightly better when cooked in the correct cooking ware, it isn’t necessary. If you don’ want to buy extra cookware, no worries. Simply use a large Dutch oven or stock pot with a lid, or pressure cooker for tagine. And you can make couscous using a large deep pot, fit with a steamer or a steamer basket or a rice steamer. The biggest trick is to keep the steam in the pot and rising up through the couscous to cook it properly. The Moroccan answer for this is to wrap the pot and lid in foil, after placing on the burner, to make sure the steam stays in the pot.
Spices
The spices are the biggest key to making tagine. Both dishes are spicy. Not chili-hot spicy but just spicy from the number of spices used in Moroccan cooking. Cumin, paprika, saffron, black pepper, cinnamon, turmeric, ground ginger and chili powder are common. The amount or variety depends on the personal recipe of the chef. The photo above shows the spices given in the recipe I’ve included here.
How to Serve Tagine and Couscous
Serve tagine straight from the stove to table in the tagine pot, with lid or without, your choice. Couscous, on the other hand, is served in a bowl shaped like the bottom of the tagine pot but is not used in cooking at all. Place the pasta pearls in the bottom of the dish, then top with meat and veggies. Pour broth over the dish and serve with more on the side.
The Moroccans use very little silverware. Instead, using bread called khobz (round flat Moroccan bread), pronounced ‘hobs,’ scoop a bite of food from the pot, into your mouth. It was a bit of work learning how to eat without spilling food all over myself. But with practice, we both got quite good at eating without silverware.
Traditionally, Moroccans serve all the food as community dishes with the bread (unless you go to the restaurants set up for Westerners). Polite society only uses the thumb and first two fingers of the right hand to scoop food out of the pot and eat with. All without licking the fingers. I’ll admit, I did lick my fingers a few times in the beginning, so the hubby did have to deal with ‘double-dipping.’
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Meat, Fish or Vegetarian
One advantage to tagines and couscous is that there is something for everyone. They come in meat, fish, or vegetarian. Moroccans use a variety of meats, including beef, chicken, goat, sheep, lamb, and turkey. Staple veggies are zucchini, carrots, potatoes, winter squash, tomatoes, and onions. Parsley and coriander complete the dishes.
Tagine also ranges from the very simple with just meat, veggies, and spices to those with nuts, raisins, preserved lemons, dates, dried olives, prunes, and caramelized onions. It’s all in the recipe of the chef.
If using meat, just like with a pot roast, always use the cheap cuts. Nothing fancy here. Tagine is a very simple dish, which tastes much more complex than it is. The slow braising/steaming breaks down the fibers in the meats, making them so tender, you don’t need a knife or fork to eat them.
Recipe for Beef Tagine
Making Moroccan tagine is easy. It’s all about layering of the meat and veggies into the pot. You basically start with the meat on the bottom and build a pyramid over the top with the veggies. Pour in your spices, put the lid on and walk away from it. It really is that simple.
The recipe I’m sharing is for a basic beef tagine recipe. Don’t be afraid to add in your favorite ingredients to fancy it up. Just remember any veggies you add, have to hold up to the long cooking process. Adding later can also be an option for more delicate ones that don’t need as much cooking time.
And if you’re making Moroccan at home tonight, you can’t miss out on serving the amazing Moroccan Mint Tea. Always used to end the meal (sometimes to start and throughout as well). I’ll admit to becoming more than a bit addicted to this amazing tea while living in Morocco.
So, have you eaten both tagine and couscous? Or are you a bit surprised they are different dishes like I was when first visiting Morocco? Let me know in the comments and what your favorite of either is.
Beef Tagine
Ingredients
Spice Mix
- 1 tsp ground black pepper
- 1 tsp ground cumin
- 1 tsp ground paprika
- ½ tsp ground cinnamon
- 1 tsp ground turmeric
- ½ to 1 tsp ground chili powder to taste
Tagine
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 1 ½ lbs. stew beef or a chuck roast cut into 2 to 3 inch pieces
- 1 medium-sized onion chopped
- 3 cloves garlic chopped
- 1 large tomato diced
- 1 large red potato sliced lengthwise into 8 pieces
- 1 medium-size zucchini sliced lengthwise into 4 or 6 pieces
- 1 large carrot quartered
- salt and pepper to taste
- large handful fresh parsley roughly chopped
- large handful coriander (cilantro) roughly chopped
Instructions
- Mix spices together in a small glass or cup. Add a little water to make a slurry. Set aside until needed.
- Set your tagine pot or dutch oven on the stove over medium-low heat.
- Add a nice drizzle of olive oil, about 1 to 2 tablespoons. Place the cut up beef in the pot.
- Beef will start cooking and sizzling while you are cutting up the rest of your ingredients.
- Spread the onion, garlic and tomato around the middle area of the beef, allowing to slightly spill over the edges.
- Now start layering in the rest of your veggies based on hardness of cooking. Place the long spears in a pyramid form over the meat. Starting with potatoes and carrots, followed by zucchini.
- Pour your spice slurry over the pile of meat and veggies and drizzle again with a small drizzle of olive oil.
- Finally, top the pyramid with the chopped parsley and place the lid on the pot. Check that your heat is turned down to just keep the meat simmering.
- Depending on the size of your meat and the quality of the cut, the tagine will take between 1 1/2 to 2 hours or more to cook. Do remember to use a very cheap cut of meat for this.
- Once everything is nice and tender, serve up with couscous and flatbread on the side for scooping out your meal.