Vegetable Tagine

For my Christmas this year I was given a Tagine cooking kit by my colleague and friend, Kevin.  Needless to say, it has proved to be one of the best and most utilised presents I have been given!  I have made all sorts of tagines - lamb, beef, meatball…you name it, I am willing to give it a go.  This vegetable one was created as a result of having no meat in the house but lots of vegetables which needed used up so I gave it a go and it really paid off.  I serve this with couscous which has been mixed with my favourite spices and herbs and my homemade hummous.  This would also benefit from a few pomegranate seeds and red onion sprinkled over. My falafels make an excellent starter too, if you are going for a full Moroccan flavour to your meal.  Also consider blending any leftovers into a spicy vegetable soup.

A few glugs of sesame oil

1 onion

1 clove of garlic

1 knob of ginger

1 red chilli (feel free to vary the quantity depending on how fiery you like it!)

2 carrots

2 parsnips

1 teaspoon of cumin

1 teaspoon of ground coriander

1 teaspoon of cinammon

1 tin of chopped tomatoes

2 teaspoons of moroccan spice (I got this with my tagine kit but I am sure you can get it in most supermarkets)

2 tablespoons of honey

A couple of handfuls of dried apricots

Salt and Pepper

Fresh coriander

Pre-heat the oven to 180 Degrees.

Heat the sesame oil in a large saucepan.

Add the chopped onion, garlic, ginger and fry for a few minutes till soft.

Add the chopped carrots and parsnips and all the spices, fry for a few more minutes till softened.

Add the tomatoes, honey, apricots and seasoning. 

Bring to the boil then put in the tagine dish and put in the oven for an hour and a half.

Leave to stand for 10 minutes once ready then sprinkle with the chopped coriander and serve with couscous, hummus and any other adornments you may fancy!