Tagine of Pumpkin and Chickpeas

My mother claimed that she had "scoured the internet" for tagine recipes and had come up with only three recipes. So, that meant there was a challenge to find as many recipes as I could for her. In the process, I came across a few vegan and vegetarian recipes that sounded interesting. Here is the first of many!

This dish is very aromatic and beautifully sweet.

Definition courtesy of Wikipedia:

"A tagine or tajine (pronounced /tɑːˈʒiːn/; Arabic: طاجين, pronounced [tˁaːdʒiːn]) is a type of dish found in the North African cuisines of Algeria, Morocco, and Tunisia, which is named after the special pot in which it is cooked. The traditional tagine pot is formed entirely of a heavy clay which is sometimes painted or glazed. It consists of two parts; a base unit which is flat and circular with low sides, and a large cone or dome-shaped cover that rests inside the base during cooking. The cover is so designed to promote the return of all condensation to the bottom. With the cover removed, the base can be taken to the table for serving."

Tagine of Pumpkin and Chickpeas

Ingredients:

1 cup chickpeas, soaked overnight *
2 tbsp olive oil
1 tbsp butter **
1 large onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, sliced
2 tsp ground cumin
2 tsp ground coriander
1 cinnamon stick
1/4 tsp dried chilli flakes
1/4 tsp saffron threads, steeped in 100ml hot water
500g pumpkin, peeled and cut into large pieces
2 waxy potatoes, peeled and cut in half
half a 400g tin tomatoes
2 zucchini, sliced
1/2 a preserved lemon, chopped
cooked cous cous or rice, to serve
1/2 cup plain yoghurt (not sweetened) ***
1/2 cup coriander leaves

Method:

1. Put the chickpeas in a pot with plenty of cold water and boil for 30 minutes. Drain.

2. In a large pot, heat the oil and butter and cook the onion and garlic until soft and lightly golden. Add the spices (except saffron), cook for a couple of minutes, then add the partially cooked chickpeas, saffron, pumpkin, potatoes, tomatoes and just enough water to cover. Season with salt and simmer gently until the potatoes are almost soft (about 30-40 minutes).

3. Add the zucchini and preserved lemon and cook for 5 more minutes or until the potatoes and pumpkin are soft (but not mushy).

4. Serve with cous cous or rice and a dollop of yoghurt and some freshly chopped coriander.

Notes:

* You may use 1-2 cans of tinned chickpeas instead if you do not have the time or inclination to soak and cook your own. If this is the case, omit step one.

** Vegans should use a vegan margarine such as Nuttlex

*** Vegans may use unflavoured vegan yoghurt or products such as the "Better than Sour Cream" or "Better than Cream Cheese" by Tofutti

Source: http://www.cuisine.com.au/recipe/tagine-of-pumpkin-and-chickpeas

Serves: 6
Rating: