Here’s an amazingly delicious recipe for a chickpea tagine that’s naturally gluten, dairy and sugar-free – what more can you ask for?!
By Dhanistha of The Vegetarian Blog.
This past week I’ve been so in love with my new kitchen toy! And that is my badass tagine clay pot. Tagine is a really sweet traditional north African clay pot from the areas of Tunisia, Morocco and Algeria. It has a deep base and a cute pointy (conical) lid. It is used to cook stews, curries, meats, couscous and other vegetable dishes. If you don’t have a clay pot, or tagine, you can just use a regular pot for this recipe.
This recipe calls for a Moroccan spice blend called Ras El Hanout which you either can purchase it from your local grocery store or make it from scratch. It’s kind of similar to the garam masala in Indian food and suits really nice in vegetable dishes. If you can, try to invest in a type of clay pot because the flavors of the dishes have a really nice earthiness to it that is amazing!
I’ve noticed especially that when you cook some type of legumes in clay pots like beans, lentils, split mung, and chickpeas (my favorite) the flavors and aromas are enhanced on a whole different level! Check it out and let your taste buds take you on a scented journey with this ambrosial chickpea tagine infused with rosewater!
This chickpea tagin recipe is gluten-free, dairy-free, refined sugar-free and vegan.
Ingredients | Serves 4
- 3 tbsp olive oil
- ½ onion finely chopped
- 3-4 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 ½ piece of fresh ginger, peeled minced
- 1 tsp turmeric
- 2 tsp cumin seeds
- 1 tsp ground cinnamon
- ½ tsp ground black pepper
- ¼ tsp paprika
- 2 tsp Ras El Hanout (Moroccan spice blend)
- 1 tbsp dark honey
- 3-4 medium carrots, sliced
- 3-4 medium yams, peeled, cubed
- 1 big can of chickpeas rinsed, drained
- 2 tbsp rosewater
- ½ cup coriander, chopped
Method:
- Heat oil in the clay tagine or regular pot, stir in the garlic and onions and sauté them until they begin to color.
- Add ginger and all the spices and honey.
- Stir for a few seconds and add the carrots, yams, and chickpeas.
- Stir all the ingredients to make sure they are all covered in the spiced oil.
- Add ¼ cup of cilantro and pour enough water to cover the base of the vegetable tagine, and cover with the lid.
- Cook at medium for 20 minutes until the vegetables are tender and the water has almost evaporated.
- Be careful not to let the chickpeas get too dry, there should be a syrup type of consistency, so add a bit more water if needed.
- Turn off and remove from heat and add rosewater and remaining cilantro.
- Serve with rice and some type of bread.
- If you have the tagine you can place the rice around the edges and have the chickpeas in the middle and set your tagine on the table to serve right out of it. Enjoy!
For the Ras El Hanout:
This moroccan blend can consist of 10 ingredients up to 100 depending on the blend of the spice merchant’s unique mixes. This is one mix that I have played around with has only 15 ingredients. The scent of the fresh blended spices is ambrosial!
Ingredients:
- 3 tsp cumin seeds
- 3 tsp coriander seeds
- 2 cloves
- 1 small bay leaf
- ¼ tsp caraway seeds
- ¼ tsp fennel seeds
- 1 ½ tsp cinnamon, ground
- 1 tsp ginger, ground
- ¾ tsp paprika, hungarian
- ½ tsp sumac, ground
- ¼ tsp cayenne
- ¼ tsp green cardamom seeds, no pods
- ¼ tsp nutmeg
- 1/r tsp turmeric
- 10 saffron strands
Method:
- Roast on medium high cumin seeds, coriander seeds, clove, bay leaf, caraway seeds and fennel seeds. It should only take about 30 seconds to a minute.
- Stir spices or give pan a little shake to roast evenly without burning.
- Remove seeds from pan, let cool for a couple minutes and place in a coffee grinder or blender with remaining ground spices and blend till all the spices are grounded.
California based web designer and blogger Dhanistha runs The Vegetarian Blog, where she shares vegetarian, vegan and gluten-free recipes from different cultures. She is a huge fan of cooking with fresh ingredients and wholly encourages growing your own vegetables. Keep up with Dhanistha on Facebook and Instagram.
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