One of my favorite things about the fall is the food! Nothing spells cozy comfort like a nourishing tagine bursting with flavor. This blend of grounding root vegetables stewed in a rich masala of colorful spices will fill your home with delicious smells to warm the belly and the soul. Moroccan cuisine has always been a favorite of mine as it's vibrant spice combinations meld layers of vegetables, grains and proteins into easy one-pot meals. Similar to Ayurvedic cooking, many middle-eastern dishes use spice & herb blends that cover all 5 of the tastes so important to our digestive balance.
I've adapted this recipe from a more complex version requiring homemade harissa. Harissa is a North African blend of chili peppers, paprika and olive oil made into a paste. Pre-made harissa pastes can be found in many grocery stores. Some are fine to use but check the ingredient list and be mindful of additives commonly found in pre-made sauces. Often the stabilizers, emulsifiers and high amounts of sugar and salt prevent the same spices that transform your food into your medicine from aiding your health.
INGREDIENTS:
4 medium-sized tomatoes
2 tablespoons ghee or olive oil
1 large white or yellow onion, roughly chopped
½ tsp salt (smoked salt if you have it)
5 garlic cloves, smashed and peeled
½ tsp of hing aka asafoetida
1 cinnamon stick
1 (1-inch) piece fresh ginger, peeled and finely chopped
(optional) but a nice touch to add, ¼ teaspoon each:
cumin seeds
coriander seeds
caraway seeds
2 cups vegetable stock
1 medium butternut squash (about 2 1/4 pounds), peeled and cut into bite-size pieces
4 small carrots, peeled and cut into bite-size pieces
1 medium eggplant sliced into ½ inch thick rounds
1 lemon, peel removed in strips with a vegetable peeler and reserved, remaining lemon cut into wedges
1 (14-ounce) can chickpeas, drained and rinsed
⅓ cup golden or brown raisins
1 tablespoon maple syrup or brown sugar
Black pepper
Fresh pomegranate seeds, for garnish (optional)
Roughly chopped fresh parsley or cilantro leaves, for garnish (I use a combination of both!)
SPICE BLEND:
2 teaspoons ground cumin
1 1/2 teaspoon chili powder
1 teaspoon smoked paprika
1 teaspoon ground coriander
1 teaspoon ground turmeric
1 tsp dried oregano
¼-1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
PREPARATION
Stew the tomatoes: core the stem-root out of the tops of the tomatoes and set upright in a saucepan in 2 inches of water. Cover and boil for 3-4 mins. Turn off and set aside to cool.
Mix your spice blend in a small bowl & set aside (chefs tip: if you think you’ll make this dish again within the season, make a batch worth several servings and set aside in a small mason jar for ease of preparation the next time around!)
Prepare the lemon: cut into quarters and remove the flesh from the peel. Cut the lemon meat coursely to conserve as much juice as possible and set aside in a bowl. Cut each peel quarter in half and set aside ⅛ lemon slices in another bowl.
Heat the ghee or oil in a large pot or Dutch oven over medium heat. Add the onion and a pinch of salt and cook until beginning to soften, 4 to 5 minutes. Stir in the garlic, cinnamon stick, fresh ginger, hing, cumin, coriander & caraway seeds (if using) and cook, stirring occasionally, until the spices are toasted, 2 to 3 minutes.
While spices are cooking, peel & discard tomato skins and gently mash the tomatoes in their own juices.
Add to the large pot the stock, squash, eggplant, carrots, tomatoes and their juices, and lemon peel. Stir and scrape any spice bits from the bottom of the pan. Bring to a simmer over high heat. Reduce the heat to medium, cover and cook until the vegetables are almost tender and break easily with a spoon, 20 to 25 minutes.
Stir in the chickpeas, raisins and maple syrup and simmer, covered, until the chickpeas are warmed through and the raisins are plump, about 5 minutes.
Take off the heat and add coarsely chopped lemon, salt and pepper to taste and stir to mix the flavors. Garnish individual servings with chopped parsley/cilantro and pomegranate seeds if using.
Philippa’s notes:
1) Try your own variation of using different combinations of root vegetables and other vata-pacifying veggies+ in this dish. If adding/substituting zucchini squash or celery, keep in mind they need less cook time and can be added in just the last 10 minutes of cooking.
2) This is a hardy meal on it’s own with both root vegetables and chickpeas giving lots of grounding & dense nourishment. Traditionally, a veggie or meat tagine would be accompanied by couscous or other grain. You can certainly do this, but remember that during vata season, and/or for those with vata-related issues, we want to minimize eating too many sticky, gummy grains which can clog the digestive system. This includes pasta, and couscous is a form of pasta! When using, choose the smaller sized couscous which cooks and digests more easily.
3) Hing, is an excellent herb to incorporate when cooking anything that typically causes gas, bloating and other digestive ailments. It has been included here due to the ingredient chickpeas which can be difficult for many to digest. For more on how to best use this herb and where to find it, check out my post, Best Hing Ever highlighting this incredible food and it's many medicinal benefits!
+Vata pacifying vegetables:
Beets
Carrots, Cooked
Chilies (in very small quantities)
Cilantro
Garlic
Green Beans
Green Chilies
Leeks
Mustard Greens
Okra
Olives (black)
Onion, Cooked
Parsnip
Peas, Cooked
Pumpkin
Rutabega
Spinach, Cooked
Squash, Summer
Squash, Winter
Sweet Potatoes
Zucchini