Vegetable Tagine Recipe

Though the word tagine refers to the cone-shaped cooking vessel that the dish is traditionally made in, it has also come to refer to Moroccan-style stew preparations. This version contains an assortment of vegetables, including cauliflower and chickpeas, making for a flavorful, filling vegetarian dish.

What to buy: For a slacker solution, you can substitute high-quality canned chickpeas for the cooked chickpeas.

Preserved lemons are a popular ingredient in Moroccan cooking. They’re preserved in a salt-and-lemon-juice mixture and sold in jars. Look for them in gourmet grocery stores or online at igourmet.com, or alternatively you can make your own.

INGREDIENTS
For the tagine:
6 tablespoons olive oil
1 medium yellow onion, thinly sliced
2 teaspoons ground cumin seed
1 cinnamon stick
1 teaspoon grated fresh ginger
3 medium cloves garlic, thinly sliced
3 medium carrots, peeled, medium dice
1 cup canned diced tomatoes in juice
1 quart (4 cups) vegetable broth
Pinch saffron threads
1 medium head cauliflower, large dice
1 1/4 cup green olives, such as picholine, pitted and halved
2 cups cooked chickpeas, drained
1 preserved lemon, seeds removed, finely chopped
1/2 cup dried currants
To serve:
3 cups dry couscous
3 cups water
1/2 cup olive oil
1 cup whole almonds, toasted
1/2 cup sliced scallions
1/2 cup plain Greek-style or whole-milk yogurt

INSTRUCTIONS

For the tagine:

1. Heat olive oil in a large Dutch oven or heavy-bottomed pot with a tightfitting lid over medium heat. When oil shimmers, add onion, season with salt and freshly ground black pepper, and cook, stirring occasionally, until soft and translucent, about 5 minutes. Stir in cumin and cinnamon stick, and toast until aromatic, about 1 minute; add ginger and garlic, and cook until just softened, about 1 minute more.
2. Add carrots, season with salt and freshly ground black pepper, and cook until slightly tender, about 3 minutes. Add tomatoes and their juice, vegetable broth, and saffron and stir to combine. Bring mixture to a simmer and cook, covered, until vegetables are almost completely cooked but still raw in the center, about 7 minutes.
3. Add cauliflower, olives, chickpeas, preserved lemon, and currants and simmer, stirring occasionally, until cauliflower is just tender, about 10 minutes more. Taste tagine and adjust seasoning if necessary.

To serve:

Place couscous in a large bowl or baking dish. Bring water to a boil. Once water boils, pour over couscous, and let stand until water is absorbed, about 5 minutes. Add olive oil, season to taste with salt and pepper, and stir briefly to combine.
Serve tagine over couscous, topped with almonds and scallions. Pass yogurt on the side.