Aubergine and courgette tagine with apricots and dates

A gently spiced vegetarian tagine of aubergines and courgettes in a sweet, rich sauce.

Aubergine and courgette tagine with apricots and dates garnished with a sprig of coriander
By Saga Magazine | Published - 30 Dec 2025
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This delicious tagine is like a Moroccan ratatouille with the additional burst of sweet and spicy flavours from the dried fruits and the ras el hanout.

It is a lovely dish to serve on its own with chunks of fresh crusty bread and a dollop of yogurt, but you can also serve it with couscous.

Cooking Time
50 mins
Serves
4

Ingredients

  • 3-4 tbsp olive oil
  • 20g (1oz) butter
  • 1 onion, halved lengthways and sliced into half moons
  • 2-3 garlic cloves, chopped
  • 2 aubergines, cut into bite-sized chunks
  • 2 courgettes, cut into bite-sized chunks
  • 1 red pepper, halved, deseeded and sliced
  • 150g (5oz) ready-to-eat stoned dried dates, halved lengthways
  • 150g (5oz) ready-to-eat dried apricots, halved
  • 2-3 tsp ras el hanout
  • 2 tsp sugar
  • 2 x 400g cans of chopped tomatoes
  • Small bunch of fresh flat-leaf parsley, finely chopped
  • Small bunch of fresh coriander, finely chopped
  • Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

Method

  1. Heat the oil with the butter in the base of a tagine or in a heavy-based saucepan, stir in the onion and garlic and sauté for 1-2 minutes to soften.
  2. Toss in the aubergines and courgettes and cook for a further 3-4 minutes, then add the pepper, dates, apricots, ras el hanout and sugar.
  3. Stir in the tomatoes with half the herbs and bring to the boil.
  4. Cover with the lid and cook over a medium heat for 30-40 minutes.
  5. Season the tagine with salt and pepper, garnish with the remaining herbs and serve.

Notes

What is ras el hanout?

Moroccan cuisine is well-known for its rich, warm spices, some of which are combined into ras el hanout, a blend of spices with up to 60 ingredients. In its native land, every grocer mixes differently, but commercial blends are widely available in UK supermarkets.

Recipe from The Modern Tagine Cookbook by Ghillie Başan, (Ryland Peters & Small), RRP £14.99

Check price

(Hero image credit: Ghillie Başan)

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