Moroccan style chickpea stew

Moroccan-Style Chickpea and Vegetable Stew

with Couscous

An Oasis in a desert.

I prepared this dish to celebrate Parasha Bamidbar, which translates to “In the Desert.” In trying to think of what would represent a desert on a dinner plate, my brain went straight to couscous.

 

I’m usually a stickler for authenticity in cooking traditional dishes. Authentic couscous is a sublime Moroccan dish and preparing it properly is an art. So with that said, I hope you’ll forgive this recipe. The bottom line is that it’s quick and easy to make and it’s delicious, which makes it especially nice when you’re preparing a dinner with multiple courses.

My goal was to produce a delicious dish with Moroccan flavors on a very busy day. This recipe surpassed my goal. It was a great success with everyone.

 

Because I was serving this stew after carrot soup and freshly baked challah, and with sautéed greens on the side, I didn’t add a lot of other vegetables to the stew. But you could add thick slices of carrot, chunks of sweet potato, cubes of eggplant, or cubes of pumpkin (or any other hard winter squash) for a heartier dish.

 

Feel free to use dried chickpeas that have been soaking overnight in this recipe instead of canned. If you do, you will need to cook the stew for longer, until the chickpeas are tender.

 

And yes, it uses American-style instant couscous which, when done right, is light and fluffy and totally enjoyable. I’m sure this would be wonderful with proper rolled and steamed couscous, if you’ve got the time and the inclination to do that.

 Moroccan-Style Chickpea and Vegetable Stew

Ingredients:

Moroccan extra virgin olive oil, as needed—Good quality olive oils are not the same. There are subtle differences in taste between olive oil from Morocco, or Italy, or Greece. This is the one I use for Moroccan cooking.

  • 1 large yellow or white onion.

  • 2 Tablespoons Moroccan spice mix (recipe follows)

  • 4 cloves garlic, minced

  • 1 28 oz can of whole San Marzano tomatoes in juice

  • 4 cups vegetable stock, divided (I like using no-chicken base)

  • 2 cans chickpeas

  • 2 medium zucchinis (courgettes), sliced in fourths the long way and then cut into 1 inch pieces.

  • Optional: I small globe eggplant, peeled and cut into 1 inch pieces

  • 4 ounces dried apricots, cut in quarters

  • A handful each of flat-leaf parsley and cilantro, thick stems removed.

  • A generous handful of sliced almonds

  • 1 box of original, unflavored couscous.

  • Kosher salt and pepper as needed.

 

Method:

  • Cut the onion into ½ inch dice.

  • Warm a glug of olive oil in a Dutch oven or a Le Creuset-type pot, then add the onion and give it a light sprinkling of salt. Sauté the onion until it’s beginning to turn golden. If you’re using eggplant or other vegetables, add them ( cut in cubes) when the onions turn soft, and sauté them with the onions to brown them a bit.

  • Add the spice mix and the garlic, then cook and stir for about 2–3 minutes until the spices release their fragrance.

  • Drain the tomatoes, reserving their juice, and roughly chop the tomatoes. Add them to the pot and cook until the liquid is evaporated, then cook a few more minutes, stirring constantly, to cook the tomatoes well.

  • Add the chickpeas and the apricots and stir, then add 2 cups of the vegetable broth and 1 cup of the reserved juice from the tomatoes.

  • Add the zucchinis.

  • Add half the parsley and cilantro, coarsely chopped.

  • Bring the pot to a simmer, then cover the pot and let it simmer gently for 15 minutes or so.

  • Uncover the pot and let the stew simmer for another 15—20 minutes until the stew is thickened but still has a good amount of sauce remaining. If it gets too dry, add more stock or tomato juice.

  • Taste for seasoning and adjust as needed. Keep warm until ready to serve.

At serving time, spoon a generous mound of couscous onto each plate and top with 1 or more ladlefuls of the chickpea stew. Garnish with the sliced almonds and more fresh herbs.

  • 2 teaspoons nutmeg

  • 2 teaspoons coriander

  • 2 teaspoons cumin

  • 2 teaspoons ginger

  • 2 teaspoons turmeric

  • 2 teaspoons salt

  • 2 teaspoons cinnamon

  • 1 ½ teaspoons sugar

  • 1 ½ teaspoons paprika

  • 1 teaspoon black pepper

  • 1 teaspoon cardamom

  • 1 teaspoon allspice

For the Couscous:

  • Melt a small knob of butter in a saucepan (or use olive oil to keep it pareve.)

  • Add the couscous and cook it over low-medium heat, stirring, for about 4-5 minutes, to toast the grains.

  • In a separate pot (or the microwave), heat the remaining 2 cups stock.

  • Depending upon the saltiness of your stock, you may or may not want to add some salt to the couscous,

  • Add the hot stock to the couscous, cover it immediately, and cook over low heat for 5 minutes.

  • Remove the couscous pot from the heat. And let it sit covered for another 5 minutes.

  • Lift the cover and fluff the couscous with a fork. When I say “fluff it,” I mean really separate the grains and get it fluffy. Then, re-cover the pot to keep the couscous warm until you’re ready to serve it.

Moroccan Spice Mix

Normally, this spice mix would contain cayenne pepper. I leave it out so that I can control how much heat I add to any dish that I use it in, but unless you need to avoid anything spicy, I recommend that you add in some cayenne pepper, the amount according to your taste.

Mix the following spices together and store in a jar with a tight fitting lid, to use as needed. You can use all powdered spices from jars, but any spices that you can find whole and grind yourself will intensify the flavor.