Vegetarian mains
Moroccan carrot and chickpea bake
This is a baked take on a tagine-style mix of spiced vegetables, chickpeas and tomatoes. Any leftovers can be easily reheated the next day. Instead of wheat couscous, we're packing in an extra portion of veg by using cauliflower couscous, making this gluten free as well.
Ingredients
- 300g carrots
- 2 red onions
- 1 large or 2 small garlic cloves
- 25g fresh ginger
- ¼ tsp turmeric
- 1 tsp ground cumin
- 1 tsp dried mint
- ¼ tsp ground cinnamon
- oil for roasting and frying
- salt and pepper
- 25g sultanas
- 1 tin chickpeas
- 1 lemon
- 25g flaked almonds
- 1 tin tomatoes
- 1 cauliflower - use ½ if large
- olive oil
- 1 tbsp dried coriander leaf
- 150g yogurt
Method
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Step 1
Preheat your oven to 190°C/Gas 5. Peel and chop the carrots into bite-sized (approx. 2-3cm) chunks. Peel the red onions and chop through the root into approx. 10 wedges each onion.
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Step 2
Peel and finely chop the garlic. Peel and finely grate the ginger. Mix them with the turmeric, ground cumin, dried mint, ground cinnamon, 3 tbsp oil and a little salt and pepper.
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Step 3
Toss the carrots and onions in a baking dish with the spiced oil. Roast for 25 mins, tossing once during cooking.
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Step 4
Meanwhile, put the sultanas in a small bowl and cover with cold water. Leave them to soak; it will help them plump up a little. Drain the chickpeas into a colander. Finely zest half the lemon.
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Step 5
Put the flaked almonds in a dry frying pan. Heat gently, stirring often, until lightly golden and toasted. Transfer to a small bowl.
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Step 6
After 25 mins, remove the carrots and onion from the oven. Add in the tinned tomatoes and chickpeas. Toss together and return to the oven for 15 mins, or until the carrots are just tender.
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Step 7
In the meantime, if you have a food processor, break or chop the cauliflower into florets. Use all of it if small-medium, half if large. Blitz until it resembles coarse breadcrumbs, in batches if needs be. Alternatively, you can coarsely grate it (from a whole or half piece).
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Step 8
Transfer the cauliflower crumbs to the frying pan. Add a good glug of olive oil, the lemon zest and dried coriander leaf. Stir-fry for 2 mins, taking care not to burn it, then stir in the almonds.
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Step 9
Drain the sultanas and add those, with a squeeze of lemon juice, a little salt and more olive oil to taste.
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Step 10
Remove the veg from the oven, check the seasoning and serve with the cauliflower couscous and a dollop of yogurt.