Author Notes
Moroccan tagines are beautifully fragrant stews made with key spices and whispers of saffron. The French are very fond of them. To my delight, a French woman once wrote to me to say that my tagine recipes are some of the best.
Some Notes:
Secret Ingredient Alert: Chickpea flour is used to thicken the stew. I like Bob's Red Mill brand. Mix it with equal parts water. The more you use, the thicker the stew will be. It also adds protein to the stew. You can leave this step out with good results. But I highly recommend it. Chickpea flour is a great ingredient to keep in your kitchen. Use it to thicken all sorts of vegetarian stews and chili.
I learned about Rapunzel Bouillon Cubes from the wonderful Heidi Swanson at 101 Cookbooks. They're vegan and just delicious. I buy them by the case online. If you don't want to hunt for them, you can leave them out. Use your favorite vegetable broth or stock in place of the water in the recipe.
If all you have is regular white onions, then by all means use them. I happen to like the sweetness of a red onion in this recipe.
—Jill @ Sew French
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Ingredients
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1 large red onion, chopped
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1 small white onion, chopped
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1 green or red bell pepper, chopped. I like green.
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1 inch piece of fresh ginger, peeled and grated (optional)
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1 1/2 cups of chopped tomatoes. I use Pomi Brand
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1 16 ounce can of chickpeas, rinsed and drained
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1 1/2 cups of water
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2 vegetable bouillon cubes. I use Rapunzel No Salt Vegan Bouillon (see notes)
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1 heaping teaspoon of ground cumin
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1 pinch of saffron threads
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1 teaspoon of ground turmeric (optional)
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1/4 teaspoon of ground cinnamon
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1/4 teaspoon of dried mint
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Few pinches of sugar or drizzles of honey to balance the acid in the tomatoes
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Olive oil and/or butter for cooking. I use both.
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Salt and Pepper to taste
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2 teaspoons of garbanzo bean flour mixed with 2 teaspoons of water to thicken the tagine. (optional)
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Serving Options: pita, naan, roti, chapati, bulgur wheat pilaf, quinoa, rice, fresh parsley, fresh mint, lemon wedges, creme fraiche, lite sour cream or Greek yogurt
Directions
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Saute the chopped onions and bell pepper in some butter and olive oil with salt and pepper until soft. Add the cumin, saffron, cinnamon and mint. Stir and saute the spices and herbs for about a minute being careful not to burn them. Add the chickpeas, tomatoes, ginger, water, turmeric, bouillon cubes, pinches of sugar or drizzles of honey, salt and pepper to taste. Stir. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low, cover and simmer for about 15 minutes. Taste. Add the garbanzo bean flour and water mixture to thicken the stew (optional but so good). Cook for a minute or two longer. Adjust seasonings, adding a little bit more mint or cinnamon if needed. Serve with any of the above suggestions and enjoy!
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