Moroccan Ratatouille with dates

[Cook Chatty Cathy]

In Morocco this dish is called "sebha del hdaree" I love it and so wanted to share it with my forum friends.

Similar to a French Ratatouille, this delicious dish is spkied with a touch of ras-el-hanout and sweetened with dates. It can be served with bread or couscous, or as an accompaniment to a tagine, grilled meats, or fish.

4-5 tbsp olive oil

1 onion , halved lenghtwise and sliced crosswise

2 garlic cloves, chopped

1 red bell pepper, halved lenghtwise and sliced crosswise
with stalk and seeds removed

1 medium eggplant halved lenghtwise and sliced crosswise

2 zucchini sliced

8 oz. pitted dates, halved lengthwise

2 14oz. cans of chopped tomatoes

1-2 tsp. sugar

2 tsp. Ras-el-hanout

small bunch fresh flat-leaf parsley coarsely chopped

sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

Heat the oil in a tagine or a heavy based casserole. Stir in the onion and garlic and cook for 2-3 minutes until they begin to soften. Add the pepper, eggplant, and zucchini and cook for a further 3-4 minutes. Add the dates, tomatoes, sugar, Ras-el-hanout, and mix thoroughly. Cover with a lid and cook for about 40 min's, until the vegetables are tender.

Season with salt & pepper. Sprinkle with the chopped parsley over the top and serve the ratatouille hot.

[jglass]

I could make this but I dont have Ras-el-hanout.
Anything I could use in its place??

[KYHeirloomer]

Janie, in the spice mix thread I posted a recipe for a simplified version, simply called Morrocan Spice.

See if you have the ingredients for that.

A full bore Ras-el-Hanout can have as many as 30 herbs and spices. Even the version Cathy posted has 15 or 16 ingredients, as I recall. Not the sort of thing you whip up just for one dish.

[KYHeirloomer]

Here's that simplified ras-el-hanout:

1 1/2 tsp coriander seeds
1 tbls cumin seeds
1/2 tbls caraway seeds
3 tbls dried mint leaves
3 inch stick cinnamon

Place all the ingredients together in a spice mill or a mortar and pulverize until coarsely ground. This mixture will keep for several weeks in a tightly closed container.

[Cook Chatty Cathy]

Not the sort of thing you whip up just for one dish.

He is quite right Janie, I could mail you mine if ya' want! Ibought some and made some,the homemade is so much better than the bought! I also posted the recipe for Ras-el-Hanout in the same Thread KYH is speaking of. But if you want to you know I highly recommend the cookbook "Flavors of Morocco" I got mine at the Good Cook book club. We are loving the recipes in it Janie! Tonight for instance we had a meatball dish that I made and oh my goodness was it terrific, I actually though to myself I bet Janie and Jon would love Moroccan food while we were eating. I guess I was thinking that because of [our] mostly your on-going efforts to get Jon to try new veggies and stuff. But anyhow I thought that might be a type cuisine he would love!

[jglass]

Thanks KYH. I have all of the things to mix your blend.
Thanks Cathy. Im going to the store today so I will pick up some eggplant, red bell pepper and I can get some dried dates. I can get zucchini from the garden. I have the canned tomatoes. Parsley was already on my store list.

[Cook Chatty Cathy]

Cool! I hope you will enjoy it. I wonder if Jon will like it?

[KYHeirloomer]

Not mine, Janie. Jessica Harris', from her The African Cookbook.

Its a good down & dirty version, though. And it will keep for awhile if you store it in an air-tight container.

Let's hear it for baby food jars!!!

[jglass]

I could not find decent eggplant at the store.
Jon heard on the radio while I was in the store that the farmers market opens Thur so Im gonna see if I can find a nice on there. The produce manager at the grocery store here in town should be ashamed.

[jglass]

Well guys I went to the farmers market today about 1pm and there was no one there.
Last year no farmers showed up til the first weeks in July so I am hoping they will come out next week.