Spicy, rich and wholesome with a touch of sweetness to balance everything out from the dried apricots. Aubergines and chickpeas are roasted in the oven before being mixed through a rich base of onions and garlic cooked in paprika, cinnamon, turmeric, cumin and ginger, dried apricots and harissa paste. We add a harissa paste for a touch of spice but you can always replace this for tomato purée if you don't want the spice. We love to serve this tagine with a simple mixed lead salad, some fluffy couscous and a bowl of creamy hummus for the perfect dinner spread.
Serves 4 & takes 40 minutes to cook
Ingredients
2 large aubergines, cut into bite-sized chunks
1x 400g can of chickpeas, drained
1 onion, peeled and diced
3 cloves of garlic, peeled and diced
2 carrots, peeled and diced
2 teaspoons of paprika
½ teaspoon of ground cinnamon
½ teaspoon of turmeric
½ teaspoon of cumin
½ teaspoon of ginger
Handful of dried apricots, finely chopped
1 veggie stock cube, mixed with 400ml boiling water
1x 400g can of tinned tomatoes
1 heaped tablespoon of harissa paste
100g flaked almonds
Olive oil
Pinch of salt
Method
1. Preheat the oven to 190C, fan setting.
2. Place the aubergine chunks and drained chickpeas into a large baking tray and drizzle with olive oil and a pinch of salt. Mix well and cook for 30-35 minutes, or until the aubergine becomes soft.
3. While the aubergine is cooking, place a large pan over a medium heat and add a drizzle of olive oil. Once warm, add the diced onion, garlic, carrots and a pinch of salt. Mix well and cook for 5-10 minutes until everything becomes soft.
4. At this point, add the spices. Mix well and cook for a couple of seconds before adding the chopped apricots, hot stock, tinned tomatoes and harissa paste. Bring to the boil, before reducing to simmer and cooking over a low heat for 20-30 minutes, or until the liquid reduces and forms a delicious thick stew. If it ever becomes too dry, you can mix through a dash of water.
5. Once the aubergine has finished cooking, mix it through the pan, along with most of the flaked almonds, leaving a few for the top. Cook for a few more minutes until everything is piping hot and cooked through.
6. Serve with some flaked almonds sprinkled on top.
