- 1 onion
- 250g sweet potato
- 2 garlic cloves
- 50g dried dates
- 1 lemon
- 1 orange
- 400g tin of chickpeas
- 1 tsp ras al hanut
- 80g black olives
- 1 vegetable stock cube
- 150g wholewheat couscous
- A handful of coriander, leaves only
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- Sea salt
- Freshly ground pepper
- 300ml + 300ml boiling water
- 1.
Peel and finely chop the onion and sweet potato. Put a medium pan on a medium heat for 1 min, then add 1 tbsp oil, the chopped veg and a pinch of salt and pepper. Gently fry, stirring now and then, for 5 mins till the vegetables start to brown and look glossy.
- 2.
While the vegetables fry, peel and crush the garlic. Roughly chop the dates. Finely grate the zest from the lemon and the orange. Drain the chickpeas and rinse them.
- 3.
Stir the garlic, dates and the citrus zest into the pan. Add 1 tsp ras al hanut. Cook and stir for 1 min till the pan smells fragrant.
- 4.
Stir in the chickpeas and olives. Crumble in the stock cube. Squeeze in the juice from half the lemon and half the orange. Pour in 300ml boiling water. Pop on a lid, bring to the boil and then turn the heat down a little. Let the tagine simmer for 15 mins, stirring now and then, till the sweet potatoes are tender and have started to break down.
- 5.
While the tagine simmers, tip the couscous into a heatproof bowl. Pour over 300ml boiling water. Cover the bowl with a plate and set aside to soak. The couscous will suck up all the water, which will ‘cook’ it.
- 6.
Taste the tagine and add a squeeze more lemon or orange juice, or a pinch more salt and pepper if you think it needs it. Fluff the couscous up with a fork and divide it between 2 warm plates. Spoon over the tagine and garnish with coriander leaves.