Tajen, not to be confused with tajine or tagine, is a spicy side dish with fish and tahin, sesame sauce. You can have it as a mezze dish or even a sauce. You can spice it up as much as you want and you can enjoy it warm or cold. This versions skips the fish altogether and replaces it with soft-cooked onion. Just as delicious!
Ingredients
- 400 gr onion, plus one for the sauce
- 250 ml tahin
- 250 ml hot vegetable stock
- 1 garlic clove
- 1/2 chili peper
- 1 teaspoon paprika
- 1/2 teaspoon chili powder
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
- A small handful coriander leaves
- Juice form 1 lime
- Pine nuts for garnish
Directions
- Peel and slice the onions into thin stripes. Heat a bit of oil and fry them on gentle heat until soft.
- For the sauce, peel and slice onion and crush the garlic.
- Finely chop the chili and coriander.
- Mix the tahin with the hot stock with a whisk.
- Heat a bit of oil in a pan and fry the onion until tender and translucent. Add the garlic and chili. Add the spices and fry until fragrant.
- Add the fried onion.
- Pour the the tahin sauce in the pan and add the coriander and lime juice. Mix well and transfer to a serving dish.
- Roast the pine nuts in a pan (without oil) and sprinkle over the tajen.
- Enjoy this dish hot or cold.
