Chickpea Stew with Six Vegetables

Ingredients – serves six to eight

From Madhur Jaffrey’s World Vegetarian cookbook loc 743

• 5 tablespoons olive oil
• one large onion, finely chopped
• 4 garlic cloves, finely chopped
• 1.5 cups of dried chickpeas (used 200gms for four); reserve the cooking liquid!
• 1 28 oz can plum tomatoes (used 14oz can for four)
• 2 medium waxy potatoes peeled and cut into 1 inch pieces
• 5-6 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
• 5-6 tablespoons chopped fresh coriander
• 2.5 to 3 teaspoons salt (probably used 2+ for four)
• 2 teaspoons of ground cumin – used this for four
• 0.5 teaspoon ground turmeric – used at least this for four
• 1 teaspoon of ginger powder – used at least this for four
• a few saffron threads or powder – optional
• 0.25 teaspoon of cayenne pepper – optional (used at least this for four)
• 1 medium sweet potato peeled and cut lengthwise, then crosswise in 1 inch pieces
• 3 small carrots peeled and cut into 1 inch pieces
• a large zucchini halved lengthwise and then cut into 1 inch pieces
• 1 large zucchini halved lengthwise and then cut into 1 inch pieces
• Harissa sauce for dilution and handing round

Add the onion to the oil over a medium high heat and stir until browning at the edges; add the garlic and stir for around a minute

Add the dry spices and heat up, then add the tomatoes and potatoes (and carrots – these take longer!) If you have to cook soaked chickpeas, add them now with some reserve chickpea cooking liquid. Cover and cook on low for ten to twenty minutes.

Add the sweet potato – then cover and cook on low for some more.

Add the zucchini – then cover and cook some more. Key point is to cook the tougher vegetables longer and the more tender less so they are all about the same firmness when you come to eat the stew.

If chickpeas already cooked add at some stage to give long enough to heat through and take on some of the flavor. I cooked the chickpeas after a 12-20 hour soak at 15 mins in a pressure cooker at high pressure with natural release and this was very soft – a little firmer would be better.

Dilute the harissa with some of the cooking liquid from the stew and then have on the side to add as people wish. Works very well with couscous.