I dry roasted my pumpkin seeds and flaked almonds at the start of this dish, then promptly nibbled at them as they were so tasty causing me to have to roast some more whilst the vegetables were cooking !!

This deliciously warming spiced tagine is perfectly complimented by the cauliflower ‘couscous’ or ‘rice’.     As I had a chicken fillet left-over in the fridge, I roasted it along with the sweet potato and courgette, diced it, then added it to the tagine with the vegetables and it mixed in really well making this an extremely filling and tasty dish.

Ras el Hanout ( “top of the shop” ) is a spice mixture from Morocco that can contain anywhere from 10-100 different spices but my local supermarket stock it in handy sized tubs which saves me from making it from scratch.

INGREDIENTS:

160g sweet potato, cut into 2cm cubes (keep the skin on for a nutty flavour)
1 courgette, cut into 2cm cubes
2 tablespoons olive oil
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 medium onion, finely chopped (160g)
2 teaspoon ras-el-hanout
2 handfuls cherry tomatoes halved (160g)
400g can of chickpeas, drained and rinsed
10g sultanas
10g dried apricots
10g flaked almonds
10g pumpkin seeds
Small head of cauliflower, florets only (160g)
Small handful of mint leaves, finely chopped
Small handful of coriander leaves, finely chopped

METHOD:

Preheat oven to 200°C.

Place the sweet potato and courgette in a roasting tray with 1 tablespoon of the oil and plenty of seasoning and roast for 20-25 minutes until soft.

Meanwhile, fry the onion in the remaining oil for about 10 minutes until soft and golden.

Add the ras-el-hanout and cook for two minutes over a medium heat, stirring continuously and adding a little water if the spices look like they are catching.

Add the tomatoes, chickpeas, sultanas and apricots. Pour in 300ml of water, bring to a simmer, cover and cook for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally. Stir in the roasted vegetables and continue to cook for a further ten minutes.

Toast the pumpkin seeds and flaked almonds in a dry pan until lightly golden. Set aside.

Cauliflower ‘Couscous’ roasted in the oven and mixed with herbs

Put the cauliflower florets in a food processor and pulse for a few moments until you get the consistency of couscous. Put the cauliflower into a microwaveable bowl with 1 tablespoon of water and a sprinkling of salt. Cover with cling film and microwave for about 5 minutes until cooked.

Alternatively, spread on a baking sheet and roast in a hot oven for about 12 minutes stirring half-way through cooking.

When ready to serve, mix the herbs into the cauliflower ‘couscous’ and ladle the tagine on top. Sprinkle with the pumpkin seeds and flaked almonds.

North African Tagine with Cauliflower ‘Couscous’

Another superb recipe adapted from the book Thrive on Five by Nina and Jo Littler.

NB: All the photographs used in this blog have been taken by me, and are of food I have prepared myself.