Moroccan vegetable tagine recipe

Preparation time: 25 minutes

Cooking time: about 30 minutes

 

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 large red onion, very roughly chopped

4 cloves garlic, sliced

1 tablespoon shredded fresh ginger

500 g butternut pumpkin, peeled, seeded and cubed

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

2 teaspoons ground cumin

6 green cardamom pods, split open and seeds lightly crushed

3 bay leaves

2 cans chopped tomatoes, about 400 g each

250 g large carrots, thickly sliced

300 ml boiling vegetable stock

2/3 cup (85 g) raisins

125 g okra, sliced lengthwise into 3

1 large red capsicum, roughly chopped

1 can chickpeas, about 425 g, drained

1/3 cup (30 g) flaked almonds, toasted

1/4 cup (15 g) chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley

 

13/4 cups (325 g) couscous

2 cups (500 ml) boiling vegetable stock

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 teaspoon chilli sauce such as harissa

1 teaspoon ground coriander

 

1 Heat the oil in a very large saucepan and stir-fry the onion over a high heat for 2–3 minutes, or until beginning to soften and colour. Toss in the garlic and ginger and cook for a further few seconds. Tip in the pumpkin and stir-fry for about 1 minute.

 

2 Turn down the heat. Add all of the spices, the bay leaves, tomatoes and carrots. Pour in the boiling stock. Stir in the raisins, then cover and simmer for 10 minutes.

 

3 Meanwhile, prepare the couscous. Tip the couscous into a large bowl and pour in the boiling stock. Add the oil, chilli sauce and ground coriander. Leave until the liquid has been completely absorbed, then fork the mixture through to separate the grains. Tip into a colander lined with baking paper.

 

4 Stir the okra and capsicum into the stew, then cover and leave to simmer for 5 minutes. Add the chickpeas and stir. Set the colander containing the couscous over the pan and simmer for a further 5–10 minutes, or until all the vegetables are tender but still retain their shape and texture and the couscous is hot.

 

5 Tip the couscous onto a platter. Pile the vegetable stew on top of the couscous and scatter over the toasted almonds and chopped parsley.

 

Each serving provides 2325 kJ, 555.5 kcal, 15 g protein, 21.7 g fat (3 g saturated fat), 80.5 g carbohydrate (35 g sugars), 15 g fibre

Beans and chickpeas are an excellent source of protein, even better when they are eaten with grains such as wheat (couscous) and rice. Canned versions are a convenient way of including them in the diet with the minimum of effort.