Moroccan Vegetarian Carrot and Chickpea Tagine

Ingredients

1 large onion, chopped
4 cloves garlic, finely chopped or pressed
3 tablespoons olive oil
1 1/4 teaspoons salt, or to taste
1 teaspoon ginger
1 teaspoon turmeric
3/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1/8 teaspoon ras el hanout, or to taste, optional
2 to 3 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley, or cilantro, plus more for optional garnish
4 to 5 carrots, peeled, cut into 1/4-inch thick sticks
1 cup water
2 to 3 teaspoons honey, or to taste
2 cups cooked or canned chickpeas, drained
1 or 2 small chile peppers, optional
1/4 cup golden raisins, optional

Directions

1 - In the base of a tagine or in a large skillet with a lid, sauté the onions and garlic in the olive oil over medium-low heat for several minutes.
2 - Add the salt, ginger, turmeric, cinnamon, black pepper, cayenne pepper, ras el hanout, parsley or cilantro, carrots, and the water.
3 - Bring to a simmer over medium-low heat, then continue cooking, covered, until the carrots are nearly cooked to desired tenderness. In a skillet, this may take up to 25 minutes, in a tagine a bit longer.
4 - Stir in the honey and add the chickpeas and optional chile peppers and raisins. Continue simmering until the chickpeas are heated through and the sauce is reduced and thick.
Taste, adjust seasoning if desired, and serve garnished with parsley or cilantro.
Enjoy!

Notes

If cooking in a clay or ceramic tagine over a heat source other than gas, you’ll need to use a diffuser between the burner and tagine.

Instead of cutting the carrots into sticks or planks, they may be sliced on the diagonal or into rounds. Be sure to remove the core if it’s dry and woody.

A tagine will double as your serving dish. When adding the carrots, arrange them in a pattern for a prettier presentation.

Harissa may be offered on the side as a condiment. Or, you can stir a little bit into the tagine in lieu of adding a chile pepper or cayenne pepper.