Savor Morocco's Authentic Flavor: Vegetarian Chickpea Tagine with Butternut Squash

chickpeas

🥗Healthier: lentils

💰Cheaper: canned beans

Lentils are lower in calories and can be cheaper than chickpeas.

butternut squash

🥗Healthier: zucchini

💰Cheaper: pumpkin

Zucchini is lower in calories and pumpkin can be less expensive.

almonds

🥗Healthier: pumpkin seeds

💰Cheaper: sunflower seeds

Pumpkin seeds provide a similar crunch and are often cheaper.

Welcome cooking club members; today we are making a vegetarian chickpea tagine with butternut squash, preserved lemon, coriander, ginger, cinnamon, cayenne, and saffron.

Introduce the tagine cooking method and its cultural significance in North Africa.

Prepare the clay tagine by soaking it in water for 24 hours, drying it, and seasoning it with oil before use.

Measure out and prepare spices: 1.5 teaspoons ground coriander, 0.5 teaspoons ground ginger, 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon, 0.5 teaspoons cayenne pepper, 0.5 teaspoons kosher salt, 0.5 teaspoons freshly ground black pepper, and a generous pinch of saffron.

Heat 15 ounces of canned tomatoes (half of a 28-ounce can) and 1 cup of chicken stock on the stove until warm, avoiding adding frozen ingredients directly into the pan.

Prepare preserved lemons by removing some for garnish and keeping the rest for the dish; these are salty and sour.

Move to the stove and heat a simmer plate over medium heat for about 5 minutes.

Add 1.5 tablespoons of olive oil to the tagine and heat until it sizzles when an onion is added, about 2-3 minutes.

Slice and add 1 medium red onion to the tagine, sautéing for about 5 minutes until translucent but not fully cooked.

Mince 2 cloves of garlic to a paste and add to the onions, sautéing for 2 minutes.

Dice 2 medium carrots and add to the tagine, cooking for about 3 minutes to give them a head start.

Cube 1.5 cups of butternut squash and add to the tagine, sautéing for another 3 minutes.

Add all the prepared spices to the tagine and toast for about 1 minute to release their fragrance.

Stir in the preserved lemon, then add the warmed chicken stock and canned tomatoes to the pot.

Bring the mixture to a simmer, then cover the tagine and let it cook, checking after a couple of minutes to ensure it's simmering properly.

Cooking Techniques

Equipment Needed

Spice Level:

Dietary

Allergens