Tara Kitchen begins…with a love story. Owner Aneesa Waheed and her husband Muntasim Shoaib met in Marrakech, Morocco and after a whirlwind romance, married under starry cobalt skies on a balmy North African night. They left their desert paradise for Aneesa’s hometown of Schenectady—and brought with them their love of Morocco’s rich cuisine and culture.
In Tara Kitchen, the only Moroccan restaurant in the capital district, they share that love with a loyal and growing clientele. The couple opened the restaurant in 2012, after nearly three years of offering authentic ethnic food in the Schenectady and Troy farmers markets. Aneesa creates exotic yet accessible dishes—from fragrant tagines to delicious couscous—infused with the complex blend of spices and ingredients unique to Moroccan food.
After receiving numerous requests for sauces to cook with at home, Aneesa created the Tara Kitchen line of distinctive jarred sauces that are free of gluten, nuts, soy, dairy, sesame and in some cases, salt and oil.
Selections From The Tara Kitchen Menu:
- Eggplant Dip – eggplant, roasted garlic and tomato dip with pita bread
- Spicy Harissa Dip – red chilli, garlic and cumin with pita bread
- Warm Fig Salad – with a honey, pomegranate molasses and a touch of spicy harissa
- Eggplant Tagine – with prunes, honey and chickpeas
- Chickpeas Tagine – with oranges and almonds in apricot & prune sauce
- Chicken Tagine – with lentils, fenugreek leaves and dates
- Chicken Tagine – with tomato jam, spicy harissa, figs, and almonds
- Chicken Tagine – with mixed vegetables in apricot & prune sauce
- Chicken Tagine – with pomegranate molasses, olives, almonds and a touch of spicy harissa
- Shrimp Tagine – with spinach, prunes, tomato jam and spicy harissa
- Fish or shrimp Tagine – with parsley chermoula and mixed vegetables
- Lamb Tagine – with honey, prunes, apricots, almonds, and a touch of spicy harissa
- Lamb Tagine – pomegranate molasses, olives, almonds and a touch of spicy harissa
- Lamb Tagine – with smen, saffron, potatoes and preserved lemons
- Lamb Tagine – with fava beans, preserved lemons, sesame seeds and artichoke hearts