When my husband said that he didn’t want a lot of meat for his birthday dinner my mind went immediately to chickpea tagine. It is savory and lovely and one of those vegetarian dishes that doesn’t seem particularly vegetarian. Along with the savory fried onions and tangy cucumber relish it is a real favorite in my family, at least most of us. My son has a quarrel with chickpeas for some reason. If you run out of time to fry the onions, don’t get stressed about it, just serve with parmesan cheese and it is almost as good. For gluten free adaptations, see below. Gluten free bread pictured. Enjoy!
Chickpea Tagine with bread and cucumber relish
Prep Time: overnight, 2 hours
Cook Time: 3 hours
Servings: 6-8
| 1 lb dried chickpeas (soak night before) |
Pick the beans over to remove any broken, shriveled beans. Place them in a large bowl and cover with 2 inches of water. Soak overnight. Or quick-soak if you forget. |
| Bread (begin night before):3 cups/15 oz all purpose flour1 cup whole wheat flour1 tsp salt1 ½ tsp yeast¼ cup honey¼ cup olive oil1 cup water | Whisk together the flours, salt, and yeast. Whisk together honey, oil, and water. Stir the oil into the flour until it is universally moistened. Cover and place in the refrigerator to rise overnight. |
| 2 bay leaves | Rinse soaked beans and place them in a large Dutch oven. Cover with 2 inches of water. Add the bay leaves. Bring to a simmer (a few bubbles breaking the surface) and simmer for 2 hours or until the beans are tender and the water is level with the beans. |
| 1 onion, peeled1/4 cup cornstarch1/2 cup oilSalt | Slice the onion in half from the stem to the root. Cut along the ridges into slices that are as thin as you can make them. Heat oil in a frying pan over medium heat. When it is hot, toss the onions in the cornstarch and place them in the oil in 4 batches. Fry until golden and drain on paper towel. Sprinkle with salt. |
| 3 pieces preserved lemon4 figs, stemmed and chopped small2 shallots, chopped small6-8 inch cucumber, chopped medium4-6 leaves mint, minced½ tsp salt | Remove any seeds from the lemon and chop peel and pulp into small pieces. Combine all components into a bowl and stir. Allow flavors to meld for a few minutes and taste. Salt to taste. |
| Bread baking: Flour |
Turn dough out onto a lightly floured surface and divide it in half. Form each half into a ½-inch thick circle. Cover with and rise 1 hour. Preheat the oven to 425-degrees. Place a baking sheet into the oven while it is preheating. Cut a cross into the top of each loaf. Dust the hot pan with a bit of flour and place each round on the sheet. Bake 20-25 minutes. |
| Finishing tagine:1 Tbsp olive oil1 onion, chopped2 carrots, peeled and chopped1 tsp salt1 28 oz can chopped tomatoes with juice1 tsp coriander2 Tbsp fish sauce | Place oil in a Dutch oven over medium heat. Add onion, carrot, and salt. Cook until the onion and carrot are tender. Stir in the tomatoes and coriander. Stir in cooked beans with bean stock. Simmer 20-30 minutes to allow flavors to meld. Taste and adjust seasonings. Serve with bread, lemon salsa, and fried onions. |
Gluten Free Variation:
| Bread: 1 cup + 3 Tbsp warm water 1 ½ Tbsp yeast ½ tp brown sugar |
Combine and allow to get foamy. |
| 1 1/3 cup/3 oz brown rice flour 1 cup/4 5/8 oz garbanzo bean flour 1 cup/4 3/8 oz tapioca flour 1 tsp xanthan gum 1 ½ tsp salt 1 tsp dried herb blend 3 Tbsp Honey 5 Tbsp olive oil |
Stir together, preferably with a stand mixer if possible. |
| 1 egg | Stir the yeast mixture into the flour mixture until nearly combined. Beat in the eggs. Continue to beat the mixture for about six minutes. Remove to a greased bowl in a warm place, cover, and allow to rise for an hour. |
| Small bowl of water Parchment lined baking sheet. |
Wet your hands with water. Take half of the dough and place it on one side of a parchment lined baking sheet. Wet your hands. Smooth the dough into a round approximately 12-inches wide by 1-inch tall. Repeat with remaining dough on other side of the baking sheet. Allow dough to rise for one hour. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Bake the bread for approximately 25-minutes. Allow it to cool on a wire rack, completely, before slicing. |
What bean stew recipe would you add to your Labor of Love dinner file?
