AI-generated image
Chickpea & sweet potato tagine
A sweet-savoury tagine of chickpeas, sweet potato and apricots with ras el hanout and toasted almonds
Sweet potato is not old Moroccan tradition, but today it is sold in every souk from Agadir to Meknes and turns up in modern home tagines alongside the classic chickpeas, dried apricots and ras el hanout. This version leans on the sweet-and-spiced style of Fez and Marrakech cooking: the sweet potato melts slightly into the sauce, the chickpeas keep their bite and a handful of apricots adds little pockets of tang. It is filling enough for a weekend lunch with couscous or bread, and it reheats beautifully the next day. Chef's tip: bloom the ras el hanout in the oil for 30 seconds before the liquid goes in; raw spice blends taste dusty, cooked ones taste round.
- Total time
- 50 min
- Difficulty
- easy
- Serves
- 4
Ingredients
Method
0/6 doneStep 1: Warm 3 tbsp olive oil in a heavy casserole or tagine over a medium heat. Add 1 red onion and fry for 7 minutes until soft and translucent with a few golden edges.
7 minStep 2: Add 3 garlic cloves and ½ oz fresh ginger and stir for 1 minute until fragrant. Sprinkle in 2 tsp ras el hanout and ½ tsp ground cinnamon and stir for 30 seconds; the spices will darken a shade and smell sweet and warm.
2 minStep 3: Stir in 1 tbsp tomato purée and cook for 1 minute so it loses its raw edge, then add 14 oz chopped tomatoes, 1 ¾ cups vegetable stock and 1 tsp salt. Bring to a simmer.
3 minStep 4: Add 1 ⅓ lb sweet potatoes, 1 lb cooked chickpeas and 2 ⅞ oz dried apricots. Push the sweet potato down so it sits under the liquid, cover and simmer over a low heat for 20 minutes.
20 minStep 5: Uncover and simmer for 5 minutes more, until the sweet potato is soft right through but still holds its shape and the sauce coats the back of a spoon. If you stir hard now the sweet potato turns to mash, which is the most common mistake; fold gently instead.
5 minStep 6: Stir in 1 tbsp lemon juice, then taste and adjust the salt. Scatter with 1 oz flaked almonds and ⅓ oz fresh coriander and serve with couscous or bread.
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 390 kcal
- Protein
- 13 g
- Carbs
- 62 g
- Fat
- 11 g
- Fibre
- 13 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does chickpea & sweet potato tagine take?
- About 50 minutes in total: 15 minutes to prepare and 35 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 4 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- Is it vegan?
- Yes. It has no meat, fish, dairy or eggs.
- Is it gluten free?
- Yes, as written. Check the labels on stock, sauces and spice mixes, which sometimes contain gluten.
- What can I use instead of red onion?
- White onion or shallots, same amount (soak raw onion in cold water for 10 minutes to soften it).
- What can I use instead of garlic cloves?
- ½ tsp garlic paste or ⅛ tsp garlic powder per clove.
Reviews
No reviews yet. Be the first to cook it.
Rate this recipe
Sign in to rate and review this recipe.
You might also like
Sayur lodeh
Sayur lodeh is everyday cooking in Central Java, made in big pots in Solo and Semarang kitchens and ladled over rice, with lontong rice cakes at Lebaran, or alongside opor and sambal goreng on festive tables. It's soupy rather than thick: a fragrant broth of coconut milk, galangal, lemongrass and lime leaf that carries chunks of aubergine, long beans, chayote and sweetcorn, plus tempeh and tofu to make it a meal. The flavour is mellow and slightly sweet, so the heat comes from sambal on the side. Chef's tip: keep the pot at a gentle simmer once the coconut milk goes in and stir now and then — a rolling boil splits the coconut milk into oily curds.
Chana masala
A North Indian staple that comes together from the store cupboard. Toasted cumin, slow-softened onion and a good spoonful of garam masala give tinned chickpeas real depth. Serve with rice, naan or a stack of warm rotis.
Smoky spiced aubergine
Whole aubergines charred over a flame until the skin blackens and the flesh turns soft and smoky, then chopped and tossed with onion, tomato, ginger, garlic and green chillies. A few black specks left in the flesh add to the smoky flavour. Serve hot with yogurt and millet rotla.
