This meat-free Moroccan root tagine with couscous is a simple dish which is bursting with flavour. Couscous can be made in minutes, along with a handful of sweet roasted veggies, this delicious dish is well worth the wait. The longer the tagine is cooked, the softer and more flavoursome the vegetables get. If you want to add in any meat, brown first before cooking. You could also use up leftover chicken in this dish too. Just add it last if it’s ready-cooked.
Ingredients
- 1tsp cumin seeds, crushed
- 1tsp coriander seeds, crushed
- 400g can chopped tomatoes
- 2 leeks, sliced
- 2 courgettes, sliced
- 2 carrots, peeled, chopped
- ½ x 400g can chickpeas, drained
- 1 level tsp turmeric
- Salt and ground black pepper
- 50g wholewheat couscous
- Coriander, for garnish
Method
Set the oven to 180°C/350°F/Gas Mark 4. Heat a solid-based pan and add the cumin and coriander seeds and cook for about 20-30 secs, stirring, until you can smell the seeds. Pour in the canned tomatoes and 300ml water and bring to the boil. Add the leeks, courgettes, carrots and chickpeas to the pan. Stir in the turmeric and seasoning.
Transfer the mixture to a tagine (or 2 individual tagines) or a covered casserole dish, and cook in the oven for about 1 hour, or until the vegetables are soft.
Tip the couscous into a bowl and pour over 75ml boiling water and stir well. Leave the couscous for about 5 mins, until it’s softened, stirring it occasionally. Garnish the tagine with coriander and serve with the couscous.
Top tip for making Moroccan root tagine with couscous
You can add leftover chicken or other meats to this dish to bulk it up