I have had this exotic cookbook ‘Cafe Morocco’ by Anisa Helou for quite a few years now and every now and then I will take it out of my cookbook shelf and lovingly browse through the recipes. I find something intensely magical and whimsy about Morocco. I can’t put my finger to it…perhaps its the exotic spices, the sand dunes, the historic sites or the beautiful ceramic pottery …they make me want to go and visit there someday! Hopefully that will happen sometime in my lifetime and until then I will have to comfort myself with virtual tours 🙂
There are so many intriguing recipes in this book but the ‘tagines’ caught my attention. I particularly liked the chicken with olives and preserved lemon recipe. Not having a ‘tagine’ did not deter me and I decided to cook this recipe in my instant pot. Oh boy, was I glad that I did! This stew has such wonderful flavors – olives, preserved lemons and saffron. Need I say more? I did not follow Anissa’s recipe exactly – I ended up adding a bit more of the quantities of spices than mentioned in the recipe. Now for AIP, you will have to omit the paprika. The first time I made it, I added the paprika and the next day I ended up having some pain so I wondered if it was the paprika triggering my inflammation since I had not reintroduced this spice yet. So when I made it the second time again, I used Kashmiri chilli powder which i have been able to ‘re-introduce’ without any issues. So I give both options in my recipe below.
I am so glad I tried this recipe using my Instant Pot. Just adds one more great recipe to my Instant Pot collection! Oh and the family just loved it and give it a 2 thumbs up! The first time I made this, I had it with some cauliflower pilaf on the side. But when I made it again the second time, I made a special bread (yes paleo and AIP) to go with it. Keep an eye out for my next post 🙂
Sharing this recipe at the Paleo AIP Recipe Roundtable hosted by Phoenix Helix.
- 2 lbs chicken thighs (Retain as large pieces - see notes)
- 2 medium red onions, thinly sliced
- 2 tsp ground ginger (or fresh grated ginger)
- 2 inch piece long cinnamon stick
- 2 large cloves garlic, peeled and thinly sliced
- 2 tsp ground cumin (omit for AIP)
- 1 tsp paprika or Kashmiri red chilli powder (omit for AIP and nightshade free)
- 1 large preserved lemon, thinly sliced
- ½ cup pitted green olives (rinsed in water to remove the salt )
- 1 cup fresh cilantro, chopped
- 4-6 strands of saffron
- 1 tsp sea salt
- 2 cups water
- 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- 1 tbsp ghee (omit for AIP)
- Add all the ingredients to the insert pot of the Instant Pot. Stir to mix and place in the IP and close the lid.
- Turn valve to sealing position.
- Press 'Pressure Cook' button and set timer to 8 mins.
- After the timer goes off, let pressure release naturally. Then open the lid and stir carefully. Gently break the large chicken pieces into smaller pieces using a spatula.
- If you like the stew to be thicker, press the 'Saute' button and cook for 5-10 mins on medium heat until the sauce thickens to your desired consistency.
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