Moroccan Chickpea stew

Update: Starting this post, I will try and list the places where you can procure ingredients that feature in the recipe, if it is not a regular pantry item. Since I am currently located in Hyderabad, I will be featuring places from this city, and the areas I am familiar with. Readers are welcome to leave their comments about availability of such ingredients in other parts of Hyd / other cities

A few weeks ago, a fellow foodie friend dropped by home and told us how he loves to dish out Moroccan food in his kitchen and how he managed to get a local potter to make him the tagine dish too! The foodie in me did not need more kindling than that to start craving a hot pot of Moroccan stew with robust flavours, not very unlike our Indian flavours.

My first brush with Moroccan cuisine was in the Momo Moroccan restaurant in London a few years ago. The vegetable stew and couscous was just perfectly spiced and delicious to suit my vegetarian palate. Chickpeas are another common ingredient in Moroccan cuisine and a chickpea stew sounded like the perfect way to satisfy the cravings.

You can easily pair this stew with some hearty bread like ciabatta or a rye loaf. Couscous is fairly easily available in most Metros. [See end of post on where to buy couscous in Hyderabad.] I usually give a laundry list of foodie items to the husband when he travels abroad and he is only too happy to comply.I don’t call him my (eating) partner for nothing!

I adapted from a Food Network recipe – Recipe courtesy Dave Liebermann

Recipe for Moroccan Chickpea Stew

Serves 2

Print Recipe

Moroccan Chickpea stew Yum

Update: Starting this post, I will try and list the places where you can procure ingredients that feature in the recipe, if it is not a regular pantry item. Since I am currently located in Hyderabad, I will be featuring places from this city, and the areas I am familiar with. Readers are welcome to

Servings

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup chickpeas dried
• 2 tbsps extra-virgin olive oil , plus more for garnish
• 1 onion large , thinly sliced
• 6 cloves garlic , crushed roughly
• 1 tsp cinnamon ground
• 1 tsp cumin ground
• 1 tsp red chilli powder
• 1 cup tomatoes chopped
• 3 cups 2 3 cups water Maggie Vegetable stock plus cubes Super seasoning or
• Salt
• black pepper Freshly ground
• 1 - 2 cups of fresh greens (I used spinach)

Servings Ingredients 1/2 cup chickpeas dried 2 tbsps extra-virgin olive oil , plus more for garnish 1 onion large , thinly sliced 6 cloves garlic , crushed roughly 1 tsp cinnamon ground 1 tsp cumin ground 1 tsp red chilli powder 1 cup tomatoes chopped 3 cups 2 3 cups water Maggie Vegetable stock plus cubes Super seasoning or Salt black pepper Freshly ground 1 - 2 cups of fresh greens (I used spinach)

Instructions

1. Drain the chickpeas - cover with 2 cups water and pressure cook for 10 minutes, till soft but not mushy. Keep aside.
2. In a heavy bottomed pan, heat the oil. Saute the onion and garlic on a low flame till soft and cooked, around 7-8 minutes.
3. Add the spice powders, chopped tomatoes, boiled chickpeas with water and seasoning cubes.
4. Taste before adding salt as the seasoning cubes contain salt.
5. Simmer for 7-8 minutes on low flame for the chickpeas to absorb the flavours and the tomatoes to cook.
6. Add the roughly chopped greens. These will wilt in a couple of minutes.
7. Grind some black pepper on the top and serve hot / warm with bread or couscous.
8. For directions on How to Prepare Couscous, check my post on Couscous with roasted Vegetables.

Recipe Notes

**Places to buy couscous in Hyderabad**

• SPAR - Begumpet
• QMart - Road 2, Banjara Hills
• Hypercity - Inorbit Mall, Cyberabad

Places to buy gourmet breads in Hyderabad

• Deli 9, various outlets
• Sweet Nirvana Patisserie, Madhapur
• Beyond Coffee, Road 36 Jubilee Hills