Moroccan Carrot & Chickpea Stew with Orange Quinoa

A big, bubbling beauty of a dish filled with sweet seasonal carrots, organic potatoes and golden chickpeas, all simmered in a tomato sauce, spiced with the Moroccan spice ras-el-hanout and finished with fresh herbs and flaked toasted almonds.

For the veg, I celebrated with organic spring carrots and organic potatoes which are a rare treat. I tend to not peel my veggies if they are organic, I simply give them a good peel.

Orange scented quinoa

I wanted to give this stew an orange twist and decided to cook the quinoa in a combination of veggie stock and freshly pressed orange juice.

What is ras-el-hanout

Is a spice mix found in varying forms in Tunisia, Algeria, and Morocco. The name means “head of the shop” in Arabic and implies a complex blend of the best spices the spice seller has to offer. Like any ‘masala’ or spice blend, there are many variations of spices that make up the blend, normally ras-el-hanout will include cardamom, cumin, mace, clove, cinnamon, nutmeg, allspice, ginger, coriander and turmeric.

For me, the dominant flavour is that of clove, coriander and mace (similar to nutmeg).

Make your own

Ottolenghi’s own blend is as follows: a half-teaspoon of ground black pepper, a teaspoon each of ground cumin, ground coriander, ground ginger, ground allspice, ground nutmeg and ground cinnamon, a quarter-teaspoon of ground cloves and two teaspoons of ground cardamom; if you like, add a teaspoon of ground turmeric and a quarter-teaspoon of ground cayenne, too.

That said, this spice blend lends itself to experimentation, so, as long as you hit a few key notes, it’s a great one to make at home, especially if you have lots of spices that need using up.

More recipes with ras-el-hanout

A note on toasting spices

Most of the flavour in spices are released through heat. What I normally do is heat my spices, ground or whole, in a small pan (dry no oil) on a med/hot heat for a minute or until fragrant. You will need a mortar and pestle to grind whole spices and I love this one from Woolworths here.

I make my own spice mixes for various dishes, and mark these in glass jars:

Serving Suggestions:

Alongside the quinoa, you can also add yogurt with harissa swirled into it and some greens.

Moroccan Roasted Carrot, Potato & Chickpea Stew

Exciting and quick Moroccan inspired stew!
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 40 minutes
Diet Gluten-free, High Plant-protein, High-fibre, Vegan
Servings 4 people

Ingredients
  

  • 6 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
  • 1 red onion finely sliced
  • 4 large carrots peeled and cut into bitesized chunks
  • 2 large potatoes peeled and cut into bitesized chunks
  • 6 garlic cloves 2 minced and 4 left whole unpeeled
  • 2 tbsp ginger minced
  • 1 x 400g tin chopped tomatoes
  • 2 x 400g tin chickpeas drained
  • 2 cups veggie stock
  • 3 tbsp chopped coriander or parsley
  • zest 1 lemon
  • 1/2 cup flaked almond garnish, optional but does add something special
  • salt & pepper

Moroccan Spice Mix

  • 1 large cinnamon stick
  • 2 tsp ground cumin
  • 1 tsp turmeric
  • 2 teaspoons ras-el-hanout

Orange Quinoa

  • 1 cup quinoa
  • 1 cup orange juice
  • 2 cups veggie stock
  • salt & pepper

Instructions
 

  • Preheat the oven to 200c
  • In a small frying pan add the spice mix and toast (without oil) until fragrant.
  • Line a baking tray with baking paper (not wax!) add the chopped carrots, and 4 whole unpeeled garlic cloves, add 2 teaspoons spice mix and a good drizzle olive oil. Massage the spices into the carrots, season with salt and pepper and roast in the oven until soft and caramelised. Remove and peel the garlic cloves and mash lightly with a fork.
  • Toast the flaked almond in a separate small baking tray until lightly golden, it won't take long, about 5 minutes. Remove and set aside.
  • Meanwhile, add 3 tablespoons olive oil to a medium saucepan on a medium heat, add the onions and cook, covered until the onions are soft.
  • While the onions are softening and the carrots cooking, cook the quinoa. In a mediums saucepan add the quinoa, stock and orange juice, season with 1/2 teaspoon salt, bring the mixture to a soft simmer and cook, covered for 12 minutes. At this stage the water should be evaporated and small white 'tails' should be visible on the quinoa, take the pot off the heat, cover the pot and steam the quinoa for 2 minutes. Remove the lid and tip the quinoa onto your serving bowl. Season with olive oil, salt and pepper.
  • When the onions are soft and caramelised, add the ginger, roasted garlic and minced garlic and stir until fragrant, 3 minutes. Add the rest of the toasted spice mix.
  • Add the tomatoes, stir until fragrant followed by the stock, add the diced potatoes and cook until they are soft but not falling apart.
  • Add the chickpeas and roasted carrots and mix well. Season with the chopped coriander, salt, pepper and lemon zest..
  • To serve add the toasted almond flakes and serve with the quinoa.
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