A Turkey Tagine is a great way to freshen up all those leftovers. I am a big fan of Middle Eastern food. It is fresh, vibrant and full of flavour. It is also wholesome, rich, aromatic yet still healthy – it is no wonder that in recent years Middle Eastern cusine has become increasingly popular. Hummus, falafel, fattoush, baba ganoush and pitta are just a few of my favourite things! A plate of hummus (and not your supermarket kind, this has to be a smooth creamy texture and with plenty of tahini, lemon and garlic) served with either grilled vegetables and meat with some light and fresh fluffy pitta on the side (again, forget your supermarket type if you are eating out! Fresh pitta is completely different) is one of my go to dishes in the summer. Every corner in Berlin is serving falafal, schawarma and hummus but my favourites are Djimalaya and Zula. But the best way you are going to experience this healthy yet comforting food is by making your own at home and it is incredibly easy, often involving just one pan!
Turkey Tagine with Pilaf Rice is one my favourite dishes. I usually make this with chicken but it is perfect with some of that leftover turkey! There are many ways to make a rice pilaf but mine is mainly inspired from Middle Eastern and the Balkans Cuisine. The key is to cook the rice as normal then heat it in a hot frying pan with butter and olive oil, pistachios and some fresh spices. Flatten the rice out so that it sticks to the bottom of the pan. The goal is to make sure you end up with the crust of rice being crispy! The rice goes really well with a tagine. I cook this tagine with peppers, dates, aubergine and a tomato sauce.
- 300g white basmati rice
- 3 sticks celery (finely sliced)
- 3 tspn ground turmeric
- 2 large onions (peeled and finely sliced)
- 4 cloves garlic (peeled and crushed)
- Small slice of butter
- Olive oil
- Salt/ Pepper
- 100g dates
- Leftover turkey (bones and skin removed)
- 1 400g tin chopped tomatoes
- 1 tbpsn tomato puree
- 3 tspn ground cumin
- 2 tspn ground paprika
- Juice of half a lemon
- 2 fresh red chillis (finely chopped, seeds removed if you don't like it too hot)
- 1 red pepper (middle removed, cut into small chunks)
- 1 green pepper (middled removed, cut into small chunks)
- 1 aubergine (cut into small chunks)
- 1 small bunch fresh parsley (finely chopped)
- 50ml boiling hot water
- 70g pistachios (shells removed and crushed)
- Cook the rice according to packet instruction. Then leave in the pan with the lid on.
- In the meantime in a deep saucepan add a dash of olive oil. Add one of the chopped onions and cook on a gentle heat.
- Once the onions start to soften add the peppers, aubergines, 2 cloves garlic and chillis. Then add the 1 tspn turermic, 2 tspn cumin and the paprika. Add the lemon juice and tomato puree and mix well. Then pour in the tinned tomatoes and hot water and mix well again. Bring to a boil then turn down the heat to medium and leave to simmer on a gentle heat for around 15 mins.
- While the tagine is cooking heat a large, deep frying pan with olive oil. Add the other onion, celery and rest of the garlic and cook for a few mins until the onions and celery start to soften. Then add the butter, rest of the turmeric and cumin and mix well.
- Take the pan of rice and take the lid off. Fluff the rice with a fork and then add to the pan with the crushed pistachios. Mix well so that the rice is well coated with all the spices. Flatten the rice down so that is sticking to the bottom of the pan and bring to a high heat (you can leave it like this for around 5 mins).
- In the meantime add the cooked turkey to the saucepan with the tagine (the meat is already cooking so it just needs warming up) for around 4-5 mins. Season with salt and pepper.
- Take the tagine of the heat and mix in half of the fresh parsley. Plate up.
- Take the rice off the heat and garnish with some fresh parsley. Season with salt and pepper and plate up.
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