In this alluring Moroccan chickpea tagine recipe a base of onions and tomatoes is layered with the contrasting flavors and textures of sweet raisins and carrots, nutty chickpeas and salty olives. Aromatic saffron and a homemade ras el hanout spice blend tie together all of these luscious tastes.
I am always amazed by how many different foods I can make with the same ingredients in my pantry when I cook globally. Indian cooks use an abundance of spices and legumes as do Ethiopian cooks and Moroccan cooks. But a chana masala is dramatically different in flavor from a Moroccan chickpea stew, and an Indian dal tastes nothing like an Ethiopian lentil stew.
This spicy chickpea tagine is just as delicious as my favorite chickpea curry, with many common ingredients, and they are both infused with appetizing aroma and flavor. But they taste nothing like each other.
The tagine has so many contrasting flavors and textures, from the olives, raisins, saffron, carrots, onions, garlic and chickpeas. And the ras el hanout packs a finishing wallop, tying all of these wonderful flavors together beautifully and adding even more appetizing aroma and deliciousness. It's a dish worth making and eating, again and again.
[feast_advanced_jump_to]What is a tagine?
A tagine (pronounced tuh-jean) is both a clay pot with a conical lid that's used by North African and especially Moroccan cooks, as well as the descriptive suffix for stews, often meat stews, slow-cooked in the clay pot.
The deep, heavy lid of a tagine allows steam to circulate as the food cooks, keeping the meat moist and effectively trapping all of the flavors within. The unglazed clay of the lid also enhances the dish by adding deep, smoky richness to it.
You don't need a tagine, however, to make a delicious tagine; a Dutch oven or any pot with a tight-fitting lid will do just as well. That's what I use to make my flavorful jackfruit "lamb" tagine and this scrumptious vegetarian chickpea tagine.
Why you will love this recipe
- Delicious, different and richly flavored. You will love the contrasting flavors and textures in this chickpea tagine recipe.
- Easy to make recipe. You need to layer in a few ingredients for this dish but the process is straightforward and foolproof and you can see my process shots below for further clarification. You can even make this easy chickpea tagine in a slow cooker or Instant Pot. Check the FAQs below for more.
- Suited to all diets. The tagine is soy-free, nut-free and gluten-free and therefore suitable to all diets. It can be as spicy as you want it to be, and the sweet raisins and carrots make the stew appealing to children as well.
Ingredients
- Onions. Red onions are best for this recipe but yellow onions will do.
- Garlic
- Carrots. You can use sweet potatoes or butternut squash.
- Raisins. You can use other dried fruits, including chopped apricots or chopped dates.
- Canned tomatoes. Use whole plum tomatoes and crush them with your fingers before adding to the tagine.
- Canned or cooked chickpeas. If using canned chickpeas rinse out the brine. Drain all chickpeas before adding to the pot.
- Ras el Hanout spice blend. Use my recipe for an aromatic homemade ras el hanout spice blend or see FAQs below for a quick version made with powdered spices.
- Saffron. This adds more wonderful flavor and aroma. But if you don't have it use turmeric instead.
- Cayenne pepper or paprika
- Cilantro. You can use fresh parsley instead.
- Kalamata olives. Or use green olives.
How to make chickpea tagine
Check recipe card below for exact quantities of ingredients.
Add olive oil to a Dutch oven or heavy-bottomed saucepan over medium heat. Add the onions with half a teaspoon salt and saute until the onions are soft and begin to caramelize.
Add crushed garlic to the pot and continue to saute for another minute.
Stir in the carrots and saute for a couple of minutes.
Stir in the raisins and mix them in.
Add the crushed tomatoes to the pot and mix well.
Then stir in the chickpeas.
Add ras el hanout, paprika and saffron to the pot and mix well.
Stir in the cilantro or parsley.
Add a cup of water and mix well. Bring to a boil, cover the tagine with a tight lid and let it simmer for 30-45 minutes over low heat. Stir occasionally and add more water if needed. The tagine should be thick but if you want more sauce you can add more water or vegetable stock.
Finally stir in the olives and mix well. Check salt and add more as needed. Turn off heat.
Serving suggestions
- A tagine is usually served with a variety of salads and vegetable dishes. Serve this chickpea tagine with a tomato salad like this kachumber and a carrot salad or beet salad.
- Serve the tagine over a bed of couscous or basmati rice.
- Serve with any flatbread, including vegan naan or roti. You can also serve it with a crusty French bread.
Recipe FAQs
To make the tagine in a slow cooker add the oil followed by all the ingredients to the slow cooker. Mix well, add two cups of water, and cook for three hours on the high setting. Stir a few times during cooking. You can also make the tagine oil-free by skipping the oil.
To make an Instant Pot chickpea tagine saute all ingredients on the "saute" setting. Once you've added the water to the tagine, place the lid on the IP and cook on manual pressure for 10 minutes. Let the IP stand 10 minutes, then force-release and stir in the cilantro and olives. Add salt as needed.
In a bowl mix ½ teaspoon each of ground cumin, ground cloves, ground allspice, ground black pepper, cinnamon and cayenne with a tablespoon of ground coriander and ¼ teaspoon each of ground fennel or star anise, nutmeg, turmeric, ginger and paprika. Add to the recipe the same time as you would add the ras el hanout.
Absolutely. To make this more of a chickpea and vegetable tagine you can add veggies like potatoes, sweet potatoes, squash, cauliflower, eggplant and mushrooms. Be sure to adjust the seasoning and add more if using more veggies.
Storage instructions
- Refrigerate: Place leftovers in an airtight container and store in the fridge for up to four days. The stew tastes even better the next day, when the flavors have had time to meld, so this is a great recipe to make ahead.
- Freeze: Freeze the chickpea tagine in a freezer-safe container for up to three months.
- Reheat: Thaw and reheat in the microwave on the stovetop.
More delicious chickpea recipes
If you loved this chickpea tagine, check out more vegan soups and stews on Holy Cow Vegan!
Chickpea Tagine
Equipment
-
Dutch oven or heavy-bottomed saucepan with tight lid
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
- 1 large red onion (thinly sliced)
- 6-8 cloves garlic (crushed into a paste)
- 2 medium carrots (cut into slices or chunks)
- ½ cup raisins (or chopped dates)
- 14 oz whole plum tomatoes (canned, with juices. Crush the whole tomatoes with your fingers before adding to the pot)
- 3 cups cooked chickpeas (approximately two 15 oz cans)
- 2 tablespoons ras el hanout (add more if needed)
- ¼ teaspoon saffron (optional. Use the same quantity of turmeric if you don't have saffron)
- 1 heaping tsp paprika (or cayenne for more heat)
- ¼ cup cilantro or parsley, or a mix
- ¼ cup kalamata olives (roughly chopped)
- Salt to taste
Instructions
-
Add olive oil to a Dutch oven or heavy-bottomed saucepan over medium heat. Add the onions with half a teaspoon salt and saute until the onions are soft and begin to caramelize.
-
Add crushed garlic to the pot and continue to saute for another minute.
-
Stir in the carrots and saute for a couple of minutes, followed by the raisins.
-
Add the crushed tomatoes to the pot and mix well, then stir in the chickpeas.
-
Add ras el hanout, paprika and saffron to the pot and mix well. Stir in the cilantro and/or parsley.
-
Add a cup of water and mix well. Bring to a boil over medium high heat, cover the tagine with a tight lid, lower heat, and let the tagine simmer for 30-45 minutes. Stir occasionally and add more water if needed. The tagine should be thick but if you want more sauce you can add more water or vegetable stock.
-
Finally stir in the olives and mix well. Check salt and add more as needed. Turn off heat.
Notes
- To make the tagine in a slow cooker add the oil followed by all the ingredients to the slow cooker. Mix well, add two cups of water, and cook for three hours on the high setting. Stir a few times during cooking. You can also make the tagine oil-free by skipping the oil.
- To make an Instant Pot chickpea tagine saute all ingredients on the "saute" setting. Once you've added the water to the tagine, place the lid on the IP and cook on manual pressure for 10 minutes. Let the IP stand 10 minutes, then force-release and stir in the cilantro and olives. Add salt as needed.
- If you don't have ras el hanout, in a bowl mix ½ teaspoon each of ground cumin, ground cloves, ground allspice, ground black pepper, cinnamon and cayenne with a tablespoon of ground coriander and ¼ teaspoon each of ground fennel or star anise, nutmeg, turmeric, ginger and paprika. Add to the recipe the same time as you would add the ras el hanout.
- To make this more of a chickpea and vegetable tagine you can add veggies like potatoes, sweet potatoes, squash, cauliflower, eggplant and mushrooms. Be sure to adjust the seasoning and add more if using more veggies.
- Refrigerate: Place leftovers in an airtight container and refrigerate for up to four days. The stew tastes even better the next day, when the flavors have had time to meld, so this is a great recipe to make ahead.
- Freeze: Freeze the chickpea tagine in a freezer-safe container for up to three months.
- Reheat: Thaw and reheat in the microwave on the stovetop.
Nutrition
The post Chickpea Tagine appeared first on Holy Cow Vegan.
The post Chickpea Tagine appeared first on Holy Cow Vegan.
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