A generously spiced vegetarian dish that should carry you across north Africa. Rich and nourishing, the couscous provides a fantastic contrast in texture and balances out the aromatic spices. We love preparing this dish in the summer and fall when our favorite vegetables are in season. Like any stew, add your own combination of ingredients and control your spice level accordingly.
Ingredients
1/2 cup Couscous (cooked separately)
4 TbspTomato paste
1/4 Large Onion - Chopped
1 clove Garlic - minced
2 stalks Broccolini
1 medium Squash
1 medium Zucchini
8 oz - Chickpeas (cooked, strained)
Water
Olive Oil
Substitutes/Add-ons: Potatoes, Carrots, Chopped Tomatoes, Cauliflower, Eggplant, Peppers and meat & fish.
Spices
1 Tbsp Sweet Paprika
1 Tsp Cumin
1 Tsp Allspice
1 Tsp Ginger
1/2 Tsp Cinnamon
Black Cardamom (if available) (2 pods/seeds)
1/2 Tsp Cayenne (optional, for heat)
1 Tsp Salt
Steps
Using a dutch oven like pot, fry the spices by adding 2 Tbsp of olive oil to the pan on medium heat and add the spices. Stir around to make sure the spices are evenly incorporated into the oil.
Once the spices start to crackle, add all of your chopped vegetables and chickpeas, and continue to stir.
After 2-3 minutes of browning, add enough water to cover the ingredients (likely 1 cup) and cover the pot.
After 5 minutes, add tomato paste and stir.
Cover and cook on medium heat until vegetables are fork-tender. (15-20 minutes)
Couscous:
Prepare the couscous per box instructions, which usually calls for bringing equal amounts of water to a boil, adding the couscous, turning off the flame, then covering until water is absorbed. After 10 minutes, you should be able to fluff the couscous with a fork (never use a spoon with hot grains)
Plating:
The dish works best after the stew has cooled a bit. Add couscous to a bowl of stew or vice versa. We also like to enjoy this dish with bread, pita bread, naan, roti, yogurt or labneh.
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