Garbanzo Tagine (Vegetarian Moroccan Stew)

White or Green Chickpeas

By Cat, June 2008 (Photo, right, from Wikimedia Commons)

Includes: 1. Garbanzo Tagine (Vegetarian Moroccan Stew)

See also: 1. Cooked Chickpeas; 2. Soupe au Pistou; 3. Chickpea (Garbanzo) & Spinach Casserole; 4. Beans & Other Legumes: Soaking & Sprouting; 5. Vegetarian & Bean Menu

Chickpeas/garbanzos are one of the most nutritious of the legumes, providing all the essential amino acids needed by humans. Plus, compared with soy, their nutrients are way more bioavailable. They also cook faster than many legumes.

Garbanzos are very common throughout the Middle East, and have infiltrated most of Mediterranean cuisine; this dish, from Morocco, is an example of this.

Garbanzo Tagine (Vegetarian Moroccan Stew)

In Moroccan cuisine, a tagine (TAH-jeen) is a stew, typically laced with fragrant spices. It is named for a special heavy clay pot with a cone-shaped lid is set directly over coals, but you have other cooking options:

• You might find a tagine pot with a cast iron bottom that can be used on stovetop;
• Saucier on stovetop;
• Dutch oven on stovetop or in a slow oven (225°F);
• Slow cooker;
• Large covered casserole dish in a slow oven (225°F).

This recipe is adapted from Spry Living.com’s Harvest Tagine recipe, and serves 4.

Ingredients & Equipment:

• 1 ½ cups (or so) Cooked Garbanzos
• 2 – 3 garlic cloves
• ¾ tsp turmeric
• 1 ½ tsp cumin seed
• 1 tsp coarsely ground black pepper, or to taste
• ⅛ tsp crushed red pepper, or to taste
• 1 large onion
• 1 ½ cups chopped tomatoes (or a 14-oz can)
• 1 large sweet potato (yam)
• ½ cup golden raisins or chopped dates
• ⅓ pound green beans
• 1 medium zucchini
• 1 eggplant
• 2 Tbsp olive oil
• 4 cups vegetable broth
• ¼ tsp Unrefined sea salt, or to taste
• cup-size and medium bowls
• cast iron skillet
• 3 quart saucier, Dutch oven, or crock pot.

Method

1. Soak (or sprout) and cook garbanzos per instructions above.

Prep

1. Measure turmeric, cumin, black and red pepper into a cup-size bowl. Mince and press 3 garlic cloves and stir into spice mix.
2. Coarsely chop onion and tomatoes.
3. Peel and cut sweet potatoes into 1″ cubes; trim green beans and cut into 2″‘ pieces; cut zucchini into 2″ pieces; coarsely chop unpeeled eggplant. Combine all in a bowl with raisins/dates and set aside.

Cook

1. Heat oil in skillet; add onion and spice mixture, and saute 3 minutes over medium-low heat. Transfer to pot; add tomatoes, broth and salt. Bring to a simmer and cook 1 hour (or cook in crock pot on high for 1 hour).
2. Add cooked garbanzos and veggie mix from bowl. Continue simmering 1 hour or more, until veggies are tender (or in crock pot on high for 1 ½ hours, or on low for 2 – 3 hours).

Assembly or Serving ideas

• Serve over couscous (or steamed brown rice).

References

1. Spry Living.com recipe: Harvest Tagine spryliving.com/recipes/view/37251/harvest-tagine.html)