Vegetable and Chickpea Tagine

Ingredients

• 100ml sunflower oil
• 1 large onion, finely chopped
• 2 garlic cloves, crushed
• 2 teaspoons each ground coriander, cumin, cinnamon
• 400g can chickpeas, drained
• 400g can chopped tomatoes
• 600ml vegetable stock
• ¼ teaspoon saffron threads
• 1 large aubergine, trimmed and chopped
• 250g button mushrooms, trimmed and halved if large
• 100g dried figs, chopped
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh coriander
• salt and black pepper
• 350g couscous
• ½ teaspoon sea salt
• 400ml warm water
• 1–2 tablespoons sunflower oil
• 25g butter, cut into small pieces
• 1 To make the tagine, heat 2 tablespoons of the oil in a frying pan, add the onion, garlic and spices and cook over a medium heat, stirring frequently, for 5 minutes until golden. Using a slotted spoon, transfer to a saucepan and add the chickpeas, tomatoes, stock and saffron. Season with salt and pepper.

Instructions

1. 1Heat 2 tablespoons of sunflower oil in a frying pan over medium heat. Add the chopped onion, crushed garlic, coriander, cumin, and cinnamon, cooking for 5 minutes until golden. Transfer this mixture to a large saucepan using a slotted spoon. Stir in the drained chickpeas, chopped tomatoes, vegetable stock, and saffron threads, then season with salt and black pepper.
2. 2In the same frying pan, heat the remaining oil over high heat and cook the chopped aubergine for 5 minutes until browned. Browning the aubergine first prevents it from turning mushy during the long simmer.
3. 3Transfer the browned aubergine to the saucepan with the tomato mixture. Bring the liquid to a boil, then lower the heat, cover the pan, and let it simmer gently for 20 minutes.
4. 4While the tagine simmers, place the couscous into an ovenproof dish. Dissolve the sea salt in the warm water and pour it directly over the couscous. Stir briefly to ensure all grains are submerged, cover with a clean tea towel, and let it rest for 10 to 15 minutes.
5. 5Add the halved button mushrooms and chopped dried figs to the simmering tagine. Leave the pan uncovered and continue to simmer for another 20 minutes. Stir in the chopped fresh coriander and adjust the salt and pepper to your taste.
6. 6Fluff the rested couscous with a fork to separate the grains. Use your fingers to rub 1 to 2 tablespoons of sunflower oil into the couscous until the texture is light and all lumps are gone. Coating the grains with oil ensures they stay separate and fluffy.
7. 7Dot the small pieces of butter over the top of the couscous and cover the dish with a sheet of damp parchment paper. Bake in a preheated oven at 180°C (Gas Mark 4) for 15 minutes until completely heated through.
8. 8Portion the warm couscous evenly across plates and generously spoon the vegetable tagine over the top.

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