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Tagines—or hearty stews—are North African comfort food at its best. For tonight’s vegetarian take, we’re using a winning combination of seasonal produce stewed with traditional ingredients like chickpeas, dates and ras el hanout (a popular blend of warm spices). In classic fashion, we’re serving our tagine with fluffy couscous (perfect for soaking up the rich broth). To finish, we’re garnishing it all with crunchy almonds, fresh mint and dollops of cilantro-seasoned labneh, a cooling, creamy cheese.
Get PlansWash and dry the fresh produce. Medium dice the eggplant. Drain and rinse the chickpeas. Cut out and discard the stem, ribs and seeds of the pepper; small dice. Peel and finely chop the garlic. Core and medium dice the tomato. Pit and roughly chop the dates. Finely chop the cilantro leaves and stems. Roughly chop the almonds. Pick the mint leaves off the stems; discard the stems.
In a small pot, combine the couscous and 2 ½ cups of water; season with salt and pepper. Heat to boiling on high. Once boiling, cover and remove from heat. Let stand for 6 to 8 minutes, or until the water has been absorbed and the couscous is tender. Fluff the cooked couscous with a fork. Cover and set aside in a warm place.
While the couscous cooks, in a large pot, heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil on medium-high until hot. Add the eggplant and cook, stirring occasionally, 6 to 8 minutes, or until browned and softened. Season with salt and pepper. Add the garlic and cook, stirring occasionally, 30 seconds to 1 minute, or until softened and fragrant.
Add the chickpeas to the pot; season with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, 2 to 3 minutes, or until slightly softened. Add the bell pepper, tomato and ras el hanout; season with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, 3 to 5 minutes, or until slightly softened.
Add the dates, vinegar and 1 cup of water to the pot; season with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, 5 to 7 minutes, or until the liquid is thickened and slightly reduced in volume. Remove from heat; season with salt and pepper to taste.
In a small bowl, combine the labneh and cilantro. Drizzle with olive oil and stir to combine; season with salt and pepper to taste. Divide the cooked couscous and finished tagine between 4 dishes. Garnish with the almonds, mint (tearing any larger leaves just before adding) and cilantro labneh. Enjoy!
Tips from Home Chefs