Spiced Moroccan courgette stew recipe

This is a great way to use up a glut of courgettes, but is also delicious made with other vegetables such as cauliflower florets, carrots, cubed butternut squash, aubergine, red peppers, sliced runner beans or whole French beans, or chunks of corn on the cob. Serve it simply with couscous as a vegetarian main or as a side dish to roast chicken or lamb or grilled fish. Or, you can add meat to the stew, leftover cooked chicken or lamb is ideal. Just add in in when you add the tomatoes and spices so it can soak up all the flavours and have time to cook through.

Ingredients

• 1tbsp sunflower oil
• I onion, chopped
• 2 cloves garlic, crushed
• 600g courgettes, cut into chunks
• 1/2tsp honey
• 1/2 cinnamon stick
• 1/2tsp ground coriander
• 1/2tsp ground cumin
• 1/2tsp paprika
• 400g can chopped tomatoes
• Grated zest 1/2 orange
• A little chopped parsley and a wedge of lemon or orange, to garnish

Method

1. Heat the oil in a small flameproof casserole and fry the onion until tender and transparent.
2. Add the garlic and courgettes and fry for a few minutes until lightly browned.
3. Add the honey and spices and cook for 1 min to release their fragrance then add the chopped tomatoes and orange zest.
4. Bring to the boil then reduce the heat and simmer for 15 mins until the courgettes are tender and the sauce has reduced and thickened slightly. Sprinkle with parsley and garnish with a wedge of lemon or orange. Serve with couscous.