Ingredients
- Serves 8 persons with a side of couscous
- For the Tagine
- 200 grams kabuli chana or chickpeas soaked in water overnight with 1/4 teaspoon baking soda and drained
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 100 grams white or red onions sliced in fine rings
- 2 tablespoon finely julienned peeled ginger root
- 125 grams carrots sliced into matchstick length pieces about 1/4 inch thick
- 250 grams italian eggplant sliced into 1/4 inch thick rings and quarted
- 150 grams peeled sweet potatoes, quartered
- 6 dried prunes
- 4 dried black figs halved
- 4 Turkish apricots finely chopped
- For the Chermoula spice paste
- 200 grams red onion, coarsely chopped
- 3 garlic clove
- 3 inches fresh root ginger, peeled
- Juice of one lime
- 125 ml olive oil
- 1 tbsp honey
- 1 tablespoon roasted and ground coriander seeds
- 1 tbsp roasted and ground cumin seeds
- 1 teaspoon turmeric
- 1 tsp cayenne pepper
- 150 grams coarsely chopped tomatoes
- Garnish
- 6 threads of Saffron, crushed
- 1/4 cup chopped cilantro or coriander leaves
- 12 whole almonds toasted
- 12 green olives
Instructions
- Grind all the ingredients for the chermoula to a smooth paste.Reserve.
- Heat olive on on a medium flame in a pressure cooker or tagine pot and saute onions until soft. Add ginger and saute again 2-3 minutes.
- Stir in the Chermoula spice paste and saute 30 seconds.
- Add drained chickpeas, 2 teaspoons of salt and one liter of water and pressure cooker for 3 whistles or cook in a covered tagine pot for 35 minutes on medium heat until tender.
- Add sweet potatoes and more water if required and cook 15 minutes on medium heat.
- Add carrots and cook another 10 minutes. Add all remaining vegetables, spices, and dried fruits
- and cook covered on a low flame for another 20-25 mins until vegetables are tender.
- Stir in the nuts, saffron, olives.
- Add more salt , cayenne and honey to your taste. Garnish with coriander leaves and serve warm with couscous.
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