Tagine and Seek
Slow-Cooked Vegetable, Split Pea, and Red Lentil Stew over Fluffy Rice
1 hour 45 minutes
Serves 4
DinnerMiddle EasternGluten-freeDairy-freeNut-freeShellfish-freeSoy-free
Herb's take
Tagine isn’t just the name of the iconic pot, it’s a promise of slow-cooked magic. Here, North African spices, tender veggies, and hearty legumes join forces for a stew that’s as much about science as it is about comfort.
Equipment needed
- Dutch oven
Ingredients
Yield
4
Instructions
- 01Heat the olive oil in a large Dutch oven over medium heat. Add the diced onion and a generous pinch of salt. Sauté until the onion is soft and just starting to brown, about 7 minutes.
- 02Stir in the garlic, carrot, and sweet potato. Cook for 5 minutes until the carrots brighten in color and the sweet potato edges start to soften.
- 03Add the eggplant and zucchini. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the eggplant begins to absorb oil and slightly wilt, about 4 minutes.
- 04Sprinkle the flour evenly over the vegetables. Stir and cook for 1 minute to coat and cook out the raw flour taste.
- 05Add cumin, coriander, cinnamon, and smoked paprika. Stir constantly for 1 minute, blooming the spices until aromatic.
- 06Pour in the split peas and red lentils, then add vegetable broth and crushed tomatoes. Toss in the bay leaf. Stir to combine and bring to a simmer.
- 07Reduce heat to low, cover, and simmer for 45 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- 08After 45 minutes, uncover and cook for an additional 15 minutes until the vegetables are tender and the stew is thick. Remove the bay leaf.
- 09While the tagine simmers, rinse the rice until the water runs mostly clear. Combine rice with 3 cups water and a pinch of salt in a medium saucepan. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to low, cover, and cook for 15 minutes. Remove from heat and let stand, covered, for 5 minutes, then fluff with a fork.
- 10Stir lemon juice into the tagine. Taste and season with salt and pepper as desired.
- 11To serve, mound rice in shallow bowls and ladle the vegetable lentil tagine over the top. Sprinkle with chopped parsley.
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