Moroccan recipes are some of my favourite examples of flavour layering. This vegan Moroccan stew brings together a unique blend of sweet and savoury flavours. Perfect to serve with brown rice or couscous.
Nutty, umami-rich black chickpeas are a perfect match with fruity apricots and tangy, fresh coriander.
I’ve been wanting a good black chickpea recipe for a while. Sometimes they’re called kala chana. But whatever name we choose, they’re packed with nutrition and flavour. Importantly, for making well balanced, healthy vegan food – they’re high in plant protein.
Oh, and if you need any more reasons to make this – it’s a simple, one-pot recipe! Exact amounts of ingredients are not essential, and neither is the cooking time. It’s a very forgiving recipe for busy or novice cooks.
Enjoy! And let me know in the comments if you’ve tried the recipe or have any questions?
Sweet Potato Vegan Moroccan Stew
Ingredients
To sauté
- 2 tablespoons neutral flavour oil eg. light olive, sunflower
- 1 large white onion peeled and diced
- 6 garlic cloves peeled and finely sliced
Spices
- 1 heaped tsp ground cumin
- 1 heaped tsp ground coriander
- 1 heaped tsp ground turmeric
- 1 heaped tsp cinnamon
- 1 tsp ground ginger
- Few grinds of black pepper
- 1 red chilli finely sliced (or 1/2 teaspoon chilli flakes)
To simmer
- 1 kg sweet potato peeled and diced
- 100 g dried apricots diced
- 400 g can chopped tomatoes (or 250g passata + 150g water)
- 400 g can black chickpeas aka chana dal (drained), (or 125g dry weight black chickpeas, cooked according to packet instructions)
- 500 ml vegetable stock
Garnish
- 150 g spinach rinsed and chopped if needed
- 2-3 tablespoons lemon juice
- fresh coriander finely sliced
Instructions
- In a large pan, heat the oil and sauté the onion until it loses its raw aroma – around 5 minutes. Add the garlic and cook briefly for about a minute, then stir in the ‘spices’, cooking them for another minute or so.
- Add the ‘to simmer’ ingredients to the pan, bring to the boil, then turn down to simmer (uncovered) for around 20-30 minutes until the sweet potato is soft. Initially the sweet potato releases a lot of water, but it should be reduced down by the end of simmering. If it starts to dry out too much just stir in a little extra water.
- Stir in the spinach, giving it a couple of minutes to wilt in, then turn off the heat. Add lemon juice to taste, and serve with the fresh coriander scattered on top.
