Vegetable Tagine Recipe

Vegetable Tagine is a vegetarian Moroccan stew loaded with heady heat spices. Make this with any veg you may have – simply don’t skimp on the spices!!

That is a type of hidden gems that may please nearly everybody. It’s meat-free, gluten-free, low-carb, low calorie, extraordinarily filling AND tasty. Wait – it’s even vegan. Yay vegans!

Final week, I requested readers what sort of recipes they’d wish to see extra of on RecipeTin Eats this yr. The themes in demand had been clear: Extra meat-free, extra low calorie, extra low-carb.

BUT nonetheless insanely tasty in fact! And if it may be made in one-pot, be super-easy, in addition to super-quick … nicely that might be simply dandy. 😂

Although I wouldn’t classify it as super-quick, calling for an excellent 45 minutes prepare dinner time to make the greens tender and take in all these fantastic flavours, it’s actually very straightforward.

So, that is the primary recipe I’m delivering in response to reader demand!

Tagine is a Moroccan stew historically cooked in, nicely, a tagine. That is an earthenware cooking vessel with a cone formed lid wherein steam circulates because it cooks, letting the flavoured condensation drips again down into the stew.

However we’re utilizing an excellent ole’ Dutch oven in the present day. And it’s okay! 😉

If you see the load of spices on this, you recognize your tastebuds are in for an excellent time. However isn’t it good after they’re all on a regular basis spices you could find on the grocery retailer? 🙂

Whereas this has a beneficiant quantity of spices in it, it’s not the kapow! flavour such as you get in Indian curries. It’s extra of a heat spice combine.

The cayenne does add a contact of fireplace, so simply skip it in case you don’t need any warmth in it in any respect!

And right here’s what goes within the Vegetable Tagine. This one’s all about utilizing what you’ve bought, so don’t be involved in case you don’t have all of the greens!

Right here’s what I used:

• Chickpeas – That is the one starch on this dish, including a pleasant nutty texture and bulks it out. Substitute with some other beans;

• Lemon – For a recent of completion, each the zest and juice;

• Onion & garlic – The same old flavour base suspects; and

• Greens – Right here, butternut pumpkin/squash, capsicum/bell peppers, inexperienced beans, eggplant (aubergine), cauliflower and tomato (which form of turns into a part of the sauce). This can be a good mixture of colors and textures that’s in season on the similar time, making this a terrifically economical dish.

A key step right here to extract essentially the most flavour out of every vegetable is to pan roast every vegetable individually to get some color on them earlier than simmering with closely spice doused liquid. As a result of in spite of everything, as I all the time say, color = flavour!

1. Saute onion and garlic first (our flavour base, as talked about);

2. Pan-roast every vegetable individually, simply to get some color on them. We don’t prepare dinner them by, we simply give them a blush of color;

3. Cook dinner the tomato for a minute. This successfully deglazes the pan (ie. will get all of the tasty stuff off the underside of the pan from sautéing the veg into our stew). Then add spices and prepare dinner for a minute to let the flavours bloom;

4. Add all of the greens again in in addition to water. (Yep, water, not inventory. In a real tagine, all of the flavour comes from the elements alone.) The water ought to virtually cowl the greens, however not fairly, remembering that the greens will sink as they prepare dinner. In the event you add an excessive amount of water, you’ll find yourself with a watery sauce;

5. Carry to a simmer;

6. Cook dinner, coated, within the oven for half-hour. That is the best means, as a result of it requires no stirring. You could possibly additionally simmer on the range over a brilliant low warmth, however stir gently so the greens don’t flip into mush;

7. Add the inexperienced beans and chickpeas, then simmer on the range for quarter-hour to scale back the liquid. At this stage, the pumpkin and cauliflower are fairly tender, partially breaking down, which helps thicken the liquid. It shouldn’t be soupy, nevertheless it ought to be brothy. Belief me once I say – you need that broth!!

8. Lastly, stir by lemon zest and lemon juice. A recent of completion works wonders right here to elevate and brighten the dish, because it does with many others from a Lentil Soup to Magic Broccoli (aptly named as such as a result of it’s so easy however so good!).

I like how the broth is of course thickened by the greens which are tender cooked in order that they ever so barely disintegrate into the sauce. Flavour, flavour, flavour!

For a standard expertise, serve with couscous. I’ve put the put up up individually because it’s a useful and fast no-cook aspect dish for a lot of dishes, not simply Morrocan or Center Jap meals.

With all of the flavours happening within the tagine, a plain couscous can be simply high quality, however I’m not one to say no to a sprinkling of recent herbs, or dried fruit and nuts!

Options:

• Standalone – only a huge bowl of this like a very chunky, hearty stew

• Any rice (white, brown, basmati, lemon flavoured would even be pretty)

• Quinoa

• Cauliflower rice (for a really huge satisfying low-carb, low calorie meal!)

• Do-it-yourself or retailer purchased flatbreads for dunking

I’ve additionally added a dollop of yogurt, a pleasant and cooling, creamy contact that compliments the wealthy mixture of spices properly. A sprinkle of barely predictable coriander/cilantro and a pinch of cayenne pepper for a dusting of additional spice. As a result of, nicely, why not? 😇 – Johnsat x

Vegetable Tagine Recipe

Print

Serves: 8 Prep Time: 30 minutes Cooking Time: 1 hour 1 hour

Nutrition facts: 200 calories 20 grams fat

Rating: 5.0/5

( 1 voted )

Ingredients

• 1 tbsp cardamom powder
• 1 tbsp coriander powder
• 1 tbsp cumin powder
• 1 1/2 tsp ground fennel seeds / fennel powder
• 1 tsp cayenne (omit for non-spicy)
• 2 tsp turmeric
• 1/4 tsp ground cloves
• 1/4 tsp ground ginger
• 5 tbsp olive oil
• 1/2 red onion sliced; (sub any type of onion)
• 1 garlic clove , finely minced
• 800g/1.6lb butternut pumpkin / squash (1/2 a small), peeled, cut into 2.5cm / 1" cubes
• 1 small eggplant , cut into 2.5cm / 1/2″ cubes
• 1/2 cauliflower head , small, cut into bite size florets
• 1 capsicum / bell pepper , cut into 2.5cm / 1" pieces (red or yellow)
• 2 tomatoes , seeds removed, cut into 1cm / 1/3″ dice
• 3 1/2 cups water
• 2 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp black pepper
• 400g/ 14oz canned chickpeas , drained
• 200g / 60z green beans , cut into 3.5cm / 1.5" pieces (~2 cups cut)
• Zest of 1 lemon
• 2 tbsp lemon juice
• 1/2 cup slivered almonds , toasted
• 1/4 cup coriander / cilantro , roughly chopped
• Plain yogurt
• Pinch of paprika or cayenne pepper

Instructions

1. Combine Tagine Spice Mix ingredients.
2. Preheat oven to 180°C/350°F.
3. Heat 1 tbsp oil in a large, heavy-based pot over medium high heat. Add garlic and onion, cook until onion is wilted (~ 1 1/2 minutes), then remove to a large bowl. Scrape out any remaining garlic bits from pan (so they don't burn).
4. Add pumpkin / squash and cook, stirring, for 3 minutes or until lightly golden on most sides. Remove to same bowl.
5. Add 2 tbsp olive oil. Cook eggplant for 3 minutes until tinged with gold on most sides, remove to same bowl.
6. Add 1 tbsp oil if pot is looking dry. Add capsicum and cauliflower, cook for 2 minutes until the cauliflower is a bit golden on the edges. Remove into bowl.
7. Add tomato and cook for 1 minute. Add Spice Mix, stir for 1 minute.
8. Add all vegetables back to pot. Add water (it should just about cover the vegetables, they will sink), salt and pepper. Stir, bring to simmer on stove, then transfer to oven for 30 minutes. (Alternatively simmer on low stove, but stir gently otherwise veg may breakdown too much.)
9. Remove from oven, add beans and chickpeas. Simmer for 15 minutes uncovered on stove on medium-low to cook the beans and reduce the sauce.
10. Stir through lemon juice and zest. The idea here is that some of the veg (butternut, cauliflower) breaks down a bit to slightly thicken the sauce. It also gets thicker left overnight.
11. For a traditional experience, serve over couscous. Otherwise, try white, brown, or basmati rice, or quinoa. Or, serve just as is like a chunky stew. For a low-carb option try cauliflower rice! I like to top mine with a dollop of yogurt, a sprinkle of almonds, coriander/cilantro and a pinch of paprika or cayenne.

Notes

1. Vegetables – You can really use any vegetables you want in this recipe. It’s intended that most of the vegetables are cooked until quite tender. Only the green beans are added later to preserve some of the green colour.
It’s also intentional that cauliflower and pumpkin sort of start of break down a bit. This actually acts as a natural thickener for the sauce.
2. To add meat – I’d use a couple of teaspoons of the spice mix on bite size chicken thighs plus oil, salt and pepper. Sear before tomato, once browned on outside but still raw inside, add tomato, proceed with recipe as written. YUM.
3. Storage – Keeps 5 days in the fridge. Gets thicker and chunkier – I think it’s even better on Days 2 and 3! A spritz of fresh lemon juice will help lift it, the longer you keep it.
Tagine can also be frozen for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in fridge then reheat preferably in microwave (excessive stirring on stove can make veg breakdown too much).
4. Nutrition per serving assuming 8 serves, tagine only (ie no couscous) and no toppings. This really is so full of flavour it can be served like a really hearty stew-soup, just by itself.

Did You Make This Recipe?

How you went with my recipes? Tag me on Instagram at @PenciDesign.

Share your love

Sarah Miller

Hi, I’m Sarah Millar!
I’m a food blogger who loves creating quick and easy recipes that bring big flavor without the fuss. Cooking doesn’t have to be complicated — and I’m here to share simple, fast food ideas that anyone can make at home. When I’m not in the kitchen, you’ll usually find me tasting new dishes, exploring cafés, or coming up with fresh food hacks to make everyday meals more fun.

Articles: 1302