I created this butternut squash and chickpea tagine recipe for Village Raw, an independent community focused magazine for the Crouch End and surrounding areas. I wanted a dish that reflected my time in the area – believe it or not, I had my first tagine in a Moroccan restaurant here over a decade ago, so thought this would be very apt.
This recipe draws inspiration from the various lamb tagines I’ve eaten and cooked over the years. The result is a tasty, warming dish that is packed full of earthy spices. Flavoursome, delicious and healthy to boot.
Read the original recipe and article on Village Raw.
1 tbsp olive oil Heat the oil in a large pan or casserole dish over a medium heat, then add the onions. Cook for around five minutes until soft, stirring occasionally. Add the spices and garlic, and cook for two minutes, stirring constantly. You may need an extra drizzle of oil if it looks dry. Add the squash, making sure it is well coated in the spices, then the tomatoes and stock. Season with salt and pepper. Bring to a simmer, then cover and cook for 10 minutes. Add the chickpeas and apricots, and cook for a further 10-15 minutes uncovered, or until the squash is cooked through but not broken up, and the sauce slightly thickened. Adjust the seasoning as necessary. Serve with couscous – and scatter with coriander.
Ingredients
1 squash (around 1kg), peeled, deseeded and cut into approximately 2 cm chunks.
1 onion, finely diced
3 garlic cloves, crushed
1 tsp smoked paprika
2 tsp ground coriander
2 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp ground turmeric
1 tsp ground ginger
250g fresh tomatoes, chopped
700ml vegetable stock
1 tin of chickpeas, drained
100g dried apricots, halved
1 tbsp olive oil
A handful of coriander, roughly chopped
Couscous to serveInstructions