Fruity Vegetable & chickpea Tagine

Serves 4
Time - 1 Hr

1 tbsp of olive oil
1 red onion, chopped
1 butternut squash, cubed
250g chantenay carrots halved
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 tsp fresh ginger, finely grated
1 level tsp ground cumin
1 level tsp ground tumeric
1 level tsp ground cinnamon
400g tin chopped tomato
10 dried apricots, chopped
400g tin of chickpeas, rinsed and drained
350ml good veg stock
2tbsp fresh corriander, chopped
30g pomegranate seeds
1tbsp Tomato puree

Preheat your oven to 160 or 140C if it is fan assisted. Gather all of your ingredients and equipment, failing to prepare means preparing to fail! Get all of your prep work done as detailed in the ingredients list above, and divide them up onto plates.

Use a large casserole pot/saucepan and heat up your oil. Get your red onions in there and cook on a medium heat for 3-4 mins.

Next add your butternut & carrots and cook for another 2 minutes or so, stirring. Now reduce the heat to low and add the fresh ginger and garlic, cook this for another 1 minute.

Now add our Moroccan inspired spices Tumeric, Cinnamon and Cumin with a splash of cold water (approx 2 Tbsp) and turn the heat back up to medium. Stir and cook for 1 minute or so.

Add the tomato puree, chopped tomato, apricots and chickpeas. Heat this until it starts to simmer and then add your veg stock. Bring to a simmer again while stirring.

Now transfer your mixture to an ovenproof dish (if your saucepan has plastic handles like mine!) and cover with foil. Cook in your pre heated oven for 45 mins. Approx 15 mins before its ready get some long grain rice on to serve your tagine with.

Serve up and add your pomegranate seeds and fresh chopped corriander to garnish on top.