This is an easy, cheap but filling vegetable tagine that my kids love, and that I love making because it’s quick to cook and packed with vegetables, and is also gluten-free, dairy-free and vegan too so it’s a great dish to serve for anyone who needs feeding and you want to cater for diet and health requirements. I have experimented with a few tagine recipes and tried a few I have found on the internet and adapted them to be kid-friendly and also quick. Both of these are important for a busy working mum wanting to feed the family.
I make this allergy friendly and you can add sour cream or creme fraiche or dairy free plain yoghurt as a garnish depending on dietary needs.
You will need
4 large potatoes peeled and chopped into cubes
4 sweet potatoes peeled and cut into cubes
1 large white onion chopped finely
2 cloves of garlic chopped finely
3 large carrots chopped into chunks
10 dried apricots
2 tins of chopped tomatoes
2 peppers, any colour, chopped and white bitter part removed.
1 litre of vegetable stock
1 teaspoon of cumin powder
1 teaspoon of turmeric powder
1 teaspoon of ground coriander
1 tin of chickpeas, drained. (you can pre soak dried ones, if you want too)
1 teaspoon of Harissa paste (this sounds spicy and hot but the potatoes absorb a lot and it just gives flavour, we use this one. You can skip it if you prefer, it doesn’t affect the dish too much)
Olive oil for sautéing the vegetables.
You need a big cast iron cooking pan or a big pot to cook this.
Saute the onion and garlic until they are soft. Then add the carrot chunks and peppers. Add in the spices and stir well and let them sit in the spices for a few minutes. Then add the chickpeas, and tinned tomatoes and harissa paste. Allow to cook for about ten minutes.
Add the potatoes and vegetable stock and stir well. Slow the heat down to a simmer, and let it cook on low, with a lid on for about 25-30 minutes until the potatoes are tender.
Serve with rice or couscous or flatbread. This amount makes enough for 4 people and a leftover meal for 4 which is handy for freezer meals too, and it can be frozen and reheated.
My kids eat this vegetable tagine without whining about the vegetable content and ask for more but if you garnish it you can serve it up as a meal for a dinner party too. That’s a win in my book.
My kids also don’t whine when I serve carrots roasted this way. Why not try it?