Vegetable Tagine: 9-a-day

Nine-a-day sounds like a boast, but it's really just what happens when a tagine gets going with whatever the market or the garden has on offer that week. Squash, pepper, courgette, carrot, tomato, broccoli, peas, sweetcorn, green beans, chickpeas – the count adds up fast without trying. A spoonful of ras el hanout and a couple of star anise turn it from "vegetables in a pot" into something with real warmth and depth. Serve with couscous or flatbreads and call it dinner – or, if you're feeling smug, add fresh fruit for dessert and you've cleared double figures.

Ingredients (serves 2–3)

• 1 onion, finely chopped
• 2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
• 1 red chilli, finely chopped (seeds and membrane removed if you prefer less heat)
• ½ butternut squash, diced
• 1 red pepper, diced
• 1 courgette, diced
• 1 carrot, diced
• 1 tomato, chopped
• A head of broccoli, chopped into small florets
• A small bunch parsley and coriander, stalks finely chopped, leaves reserved
• Olive oil
• 2 star anise
• 1 tbsp Ras el Hanout
• 1 tbsp tomato purée
• A handful frozen peas
• A handful frozen sweetcorn
• A handful frozen sliced green beans
• 1 tin chickpeas, drained and rinsed
• Salt and black pepper
• Couscous or flatbreads, to serve

Method

1. Heat a glug of olive oil in a tagine or heavy-based pan. Add the onion and sweat gently until softened.
2. Add the garlic and chilli, followed by the star anise, parsley and coriander stalks, and the ras el hanout. Cook for a minute until fragrant.
3. Add the butternut squash and cook for 5 minutes. Season with salt and pepper.
4. Stir in the tomato purée, then add the chopped tomato, courgette, and broccoli. Continue cooking until the vegetables are tender to your liking.
5. Add the frozen peas, sweetcorn, and green beans, and cook for a further couple of minutes.
6. Add the chickpeas and warm through.
7. Stir in a big handful of fresh coriander leaves and serve with couscous or flatbreads.

If you're after something similarly spiced but built around rice instead of couscous, my Spiced Fried Onion Rice with Vegetables makes a good pairing.

This vegetable tagine is part of my Veg, Fruit & Pulses collection. And is part of the North African Recipes collection at The Flexible Chef — six countries, one Moorish kitchen.

Wonky photos, proper produce, genuine adventures – The Flexible Chef