Onions are called bisla in Moroccan Arabic. This is fairly close to the Standard Arabic of basal.

Onions are used extensively in Moroccan cooking. Most tagines call for at least one onion, and many Moroccan dishes call for more, such as Quince Tagine K'dra and Chicken Bastilla.

When making Roasted Chicken with Preserved Lemon and Olives, I slice the onions as thinly as shown in the photo. In other recipes, though, the onions might be chopped, thickly sliced, or grated.

The glossary listing for bisla links to even more recipes which call for onions.

Photo © Christine Benlafquih

Eggplants, or aubergines, are called a number of different things in Morocco. Early on, these Arabic words sounded so similar to my untrained ear that I thought they were a single word which I couldn't remember correctly. In print, though, it's easy to see the differences.

Danjal seems to be the most popular word in darija for eggplant, followed by badanjal, which my in-laws favor.

Some Moroccan also use danjan, or even the Standard Arabic of badanjan.

Moroccan Fried Eggplant was the first Moroccan eggplant recipe my mother-in-law taught me. My whole family likes them, and I usually serve them as part of a Moroccan Fried Fish Dinner.

Other Moroccan Eggplant Recipes on the site include:

• Zaalouk
• Moroccan Eggplant Puree
• Sweet and Spicy Moroccan Eggplant

Photo © Christine Benlafquih

Quinces are called safarjal in Arabic, and they make a sweet, sublime addition to a spicy Moroccan stew. I find fruit tagines among the easiest to make, and aside from the fact that quinces are a bit challenging to core, this Tagine of Meat and Quinces Recipe is no different.

The meat gets cooked in one pot while the quinces are cooked separately. The quinces are then simmered a second time in a rich butter, honey and cinnamon syrup before getting arranged around the meat.

Cookbook author Paula Wolfert's Okra and Quince Tagine Recipe calls for glazing the quinces in the syrup to give them added color. Although quinces already take on an appealing pinkish color as they cook, I think the glazing is a brilliant touch, and I'll likely try that myself the next time I make Quince Tagine.

Photo © Christine Benlafquih

Atay is the Moroccan Arabic word for tea. In Morocco, green tea is usually steeped in a berrad (Moroccan teapot) with lots of mint (na'na') and then sweetened with generous amounts of sugar.

The resulting drink is Morocco's famous mint tea, or atay bi na'na. The Moroccan Mint Tea Recipe tells how to make it, and you can see more Moroccan tea recipes in the glossary listing for atay.

Photo © Christine Benlafquih