Moroccan chickpea stew with saffron couscous
Today I abandon cakes to share with you this super healthy/super vegan recipe which I found in Aine Carlin’s book Keep it vegan. My son left it here (together with all his other possessions!) when he emigrated to China to teach English as a foreign language. While flicking through it I spotted lots of recipes which appeal and might have a go at, even if I’m vegetarian more than vegan. I have got to say I really enjoyed the saffron cous cous and I will definitely make it again. If you want to feel holy have a go at this stew. Simple, filling and very satisfying.
INGREDIENTS
- 2 tbsp sunflower oil
- 1 red onion, roughly chopped,
- 1 red pepper, deseeded & roughly chopped,
- 1 carrot, roughly chopped,
- 2 garlic cloves, finely chopped,
- 1 aubergine, cubed,
- 4 large tomatoes,
- 1 tsp ground cumin,
- 1 tsp smoked paprika,
- ½ tsp ground coriander,
- ½ tsp ground cinnamon,
- 1 tbsp tomato purée,
- 1 x 400g can chickpeas,
- 5 medjool dates,
- 250g couscous,
- pinch of saffron strands (I used a sachet of ground saffron, which is what you buy in Italy),
- pared zest and juice of 1 lemon,
- 1 tsp veg stock granules,
- 3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil,
- 30g fresh flat-leaf parsley, chopped,
- salt and freshly ground black pepper.
METHOD
Heat half the oil in a heavy based saucepan. Add the onion, red pepper and carrot, season and sauté for several minutes before stirring through the garlic. Add the aubergine to the pan with the remaining oil, cover and let the vegetables soften for 5-10 minutes, stirring every so often.
Place the whole tomatoes in a medium bowl, cover with boiling water and set aside for 1 minute. Remove the skins from the tomatoes and finely chop the flesh.
Sprinkle the spices over the cooking vegetables, allowing the flavours to infuse for several minutes, before adding the chopped tomatoes. Season and bring to a gentle simmer.
After 5 minutes add the tomato pureé and stir to combine. Cover and simmer until the vegetables are soft (around 20 minutes). Finally drain and rinse the chickpeas and stone and chop the dates. Add them to the pan and cook gently for a further 10 minutes.
Meanwhile place the couscous in a bowl with the saffron strands and the lemon zest strips. Pour the boiling vegetable stock over it. Cover and let sit for 5-10 minutes until all the water has been absorbed. Fluff with a fork, add the lemon juice, olive oil and chopped parsley. Stir and serve with the stew.
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