Moroccan Vegetable Tagine with Chickpeas
Root vegetables, chickpeas and apricots layered in a tagine with ginger, turmeric and preserved lemon, cooked until the sauce thickens around them.
- Prep
- 25 min
- Cook
- 55 min
- Total
- 1 hr 20 min
- Serves
- 6
- Difficulty
- Easy
A vegetable tagine is not a compromise version of a meat one. It is a standard dish of the Moroccan kitchen, eaten far more often than the lamb tagines that get exported.
The structure is the same as any tagine: onion underneath, vegetables arranged in a cone so steam circulates, spices scattered over, very little added liquid. What you get back is vegetables that keep their shape in a concentrated, golden sauce.
Vegan as written, and it reheats better than almost anything else in this section.
Ingredients
Makes 6 servings
Instructions
Build the base
Spread the sliced onion over the bottom of a tagine or heavy casserole with the olive oil. Add the grated onion, garlic, grated tomato, spices, saffron and salt and cook over a medium heat for 5 minutes.
Layer the vegetables
Arrange the carrots and potatoes upright around the edge, leaning inward, then pile the squash and chickpeas in the centre. Tuck the apricots and preserved lemon rind between them.
Cook
Pour in the water, cover and cook on a low heat for 30 minutes without stirring.
Add the courgettes
Lay the courgette batons over the top, cover again and cook for a further 20 to 25 minutes, until everything is tender but still holding its shape.
Reduce and serve
Uncover and let the sauce bubble for 5 minutes to thicken. Scatter with coriander and serve from the pot with bread or over couscous.
Cook’s notes
- Resist stirring. The point of the layered arrangement is that each vegetable cooks in steam rather than in liquid.
- Add a spoon of harissa to the base if you want heat — it is not traditional but it is common in Moroccan home cooking today.
Recipe information
- Prep time
- 25 min
- Cook time
- 55 min
- Total time
- 1 hr 20 min
- Servings
- 6
- Calories
- 320 kcal per serving
- Cuisine
- Moroccan
- Course
- Main Dish
- Difficulty
- Easy
- Keywords
- moroccan vegetable tagine, vegan tagine, vegetarian tagine recipe, chickpea tagine
Nutrition is an estimate per serving, calculated from the ingredient list. Values vary with brands, cuts and portion size.
Frequently asked questions
Can I make this in the oven?
What can I serve with a vegetable tagine?
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