A delicious, vegan Harissa, Sweet Potato and Chickpea Tagine, served with Lemon and Coriander Couscous – quick and simple enough for a midweek supper but impressive enough for a dinner party.
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I mentioned a few weeks ago that I have been really inspired by Jamie Oliver’s recent programme on superfoods. Jamie went to some of the healthiest places on earth to discover their secrets, as well as studying nutrition and talking to food and nutrition experts. The result was a brilliant TV series and a great recipe book: Everyday Super Food*
. (You can read my review here.)
As a result of watching this programme and then reading the book, I was inspired to cook more healthily and in particular, make more meals with sweet potatoes. Sweet potatoes are apparently one of the healthiest vegetables on the planet: full of fibre, vitamins and antioxidants and, according to Jamie, they are one of the reasons why residents of Okinawa in Japan are so healthy and often live into their 90s and beyond.
I began by creating a vegan Sweet Potato Chilli, and was so pleased with the result that I began to wonder what I could make with this delicious vegetable. An idea began to form in my mind for a simple tagine, flavoured with harissa, ginger, coriander and cumin and involving chickpeas and wholewheat couscous for healthy vegetable-based protein, then sprinkled with beautiful pomegranate seeds and coriander leaves. I also decided to jazz up the couscous using almonds, coriander and lemon. The result is delicious, satisfying and vegan/veggie friendly.
This is not a difficult recipe, but if you wanted to simplify it further, you could serve it with plain couscous and lose the pomegranate seeds and it would still taste great (though wouldn’t look quite so pretty!). If you need to make this gluten free, this tagine works brilliantly with brown rice too. And if you haven’t got any harissa, you could substitute for ½ to 1 teaspoon of chilli flakes, depending on how hot you like things.
If you would prefer a non-vegan version of this tagine, why not try adding chicken or lamb? Add 2cm (3/4inch) chunks of chicken (thigh works particularly well) or lamb after you have added the cumin and coriander and brown for 5 minutes before continuing with the recipe. The chicken will be cooked after 20 minutes, but you may find you want to cook the lamb version for longer…I suggest you pop it in the oven and cook for 1 hour at 180C (160C fan / gas mark 4 / 350F).
I love this meal with a zesty New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc, but if you prefer red wine, it would also go well with a Spanish Garnacha or a Southern French Grenache. If you add lamb to this tagine, I suggest a red wine would work better.
If you like my Harissa, Sweet Potato and Chickpea Tagine…
…then you might like
Harissa, Sweet Potato and Chickpea Tagine with Lemon and Coriander Couscous
Ingredients
Sweet Potato and Chickpea Tagine:
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 onion sliced
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon ground coriander seeds
- 750 g sweet potato peeled and chopped into 1cm (½inch) cubes
- 2 cloves garlic grated or crushed
- 2 cm ginger grated
- 2 tablespoons harissa paste (or to taste – I used Tesco Ingredients)
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 400 g tin chopped tomatoes plus half a can of water
- 400 g tin chickpeas
- 2 tablespoons coriander leaves (cilantro) roughly chopped, plus extra for garnish
- Juice of half a lemon
- 100 g pomegranate seeds or seeds from half a pomegranate
Lemon and Coriander Couscous:
- 200 g wholewheat couscous (or normal couscous, if you can’t find wholewheat)
- 300 ml boiling water
- Salt and pepper to taste
- 2 tablespoons coriander leaves (cilantro) chopped
- Zest and juice of 1 lemon
- 2 tablespoons good quality olive oil
- 25 g flaked almonds
Instructions
Sweet Potato and Chickpea Tagine:
- Drizzle the olive oil into a wide, deep saucepan. Add the sliced onion and cook on a gentle heat, with the lid on, for about 5 minutes, until softened but not brown.
- Add the ground cumin and coriander seeds and cook for 1 more minute with the lid off.
- Add the sweet potato, grated garlic and ginger, and cook for a further minute, before adding in 2 tablespoons of harissa, ½ teaspoon of salt, 1 tin of tomatoes and half a tin of water. Bring to the boil and then turn down low and simmer with the lid on for 10 minutes.
- While the tagine is simmering, you can start making the couscous (see recipe below).
- After 10 minutes, add the chickpeas to the tagine and cook for a further 10 minutes with the lid off.
- When the tagine is cooked, add 3 tablespoons of roughly chopped coriander and the juice of half a lemon.
- Serve sprinkled with pomegranate seeds and coriander, and with the Lemon and Coriander Couscous.
Lemon and Coriander Couscous:
- While the tagine is cooking, make the couscous. Place the couscous in a bowl and cover with the boiling water. Cover with a lid (I find a plate works well, or you could use tin foil) and leave for 5 minutes.
- After 5 minutes, fluff the couscous up with a fork and cover and leave, covered, for another 5 minutes.
- After the couscous has had 10 minutes in total, add the chopped coriander, juice and zest of 1 lemon, 4 tablespoons of olive oil, 50g of flaked almonds, plus salt and pepper to taste.
Notes
- Suitable for freezing.
- Nutrition information is approximate and meant as a guideline only.
Pin Harissa, Sweet Potato and Chickpea Tagine for later
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Disclosure
*This blog post contains affiliate links, this means if you click on a link and go on to buy the product I recommend, I will get a small commission, but you will not be charged a penny more – thanks in advance!
Lins @ Boo & Maddie says
We’re huge lovers of sweet potatoes, one of the few super healthy things I really, really enjoy. This whole dish looks delicious and I’ve pinned it so I can give it a go, it would be the perfect next-day lunchtime treat too X #TastyTuesdays
Eb Gargano says
Thanks, Lins! Sweet potatoes are fab aren’t they? I love how healthy they are 🙂 It works really well the next day – I always make extra when I make this so I can have a super easy, super tasty lunch the next day! Thanks for commenting and pinning. Would love to know how you get on if you make it 🙂 Eb x
Kirsty Hijacked By Twins says
Now that I know I do not need a tagine to make these lovely dishes I will definitely be giving them a go! Thank you for sharing with #CookBlogShare x
Eb Gargano says
Haha – glad to hear it Kirsty! Do you know I was rereading Sabrina Ghayour’s lovely book Persiana the other day and she says she doesn’t use a tagine either as she finds it much more practical to use a saucepan – so we are in good company, Kirsty! That said, I’d love to have one for food styling purposes! They look so pretty!! Eb x
Sarah says
I actually picked up Jamie’s Superfood book from my shelf over the weekend, with the intention of making something a little healthier after making creme brulee and chocolate truffles. Alas, I never got the chance. I do love a tagline and this sounds really lovely, especially the lemon and coriander couscous – I could probably eat that just on its own. Hehe. 🙂
Eb Gargano says
Thank you, Sarah! It’s a great book – I made loads of stuff from it when I was reviewing it and felt sooo healthy! Yep the couscous is pretty awesome – there’s something about lemon and coriander together that just ‘works’. Thanks for your lovely kind comments 🙂 Eb x
Alison says
This looks lovely. I have some harissa in the fridge I was wondering how to use up. This looks perfect
Eb Gargano says
It’s a great use of harissa! I have another couple of ideas if you need them: there’s my Harissa Salmon and my Warm Butternut Squash, Harissa and Halloumi Salad. Would love to know what you think if you try any of them 🙂 Thanks for your lovely comments. Eb x
Corina says
I also love Jamie’s Superfoods book and started using black quinoa after reading it. I think the couscous with the flaked almonds in it looks especially tasty here and the tagine is a great one-pot meal!
Eb Gargano says
Thanks Corina – it’s a great book isn’t it? It introduced me to all sorts of things – though I haven’t tried black quinoa yet! Thanks for your kind comments. Eb x
Angela / Only Crumbs Remain says
Although I’ve not got Jamie’s book I did see a few of his episodes on TV and saw the episode where he spoke with the elderly locals who consumed sweet potatoes regularly. It’s amazing what’s packed into those little tubers. Love the sound of your dish Eb, with all of those extra flavours.
Angela x
Eb Gargano says
Thanks Angela – it was a great programme – I loved that episode when he went to Okinawa. Love sweet potatoes, trying to include more of them in my diet as they are so super healthy AND tasty – hooray! Thanks for your kind comments 🙂 Eb x
Honest Mum says
Utterly beautiful, as are you, love your profile shot. I say go with your face over your logo everywhere x
Eb Gargano says
Aw, Vicki – you are so nice! (Definitely no such thing as too nice 😉 ) I have been umming and aahing over whether to do face or logo on my social media for ages. Can’t decide if face would be better or worse. I think a face is nicer to engage with (I always like seeing your lovely smiling face), but my logo explains better what I do…but thanks for the vote of confidence in my face!! It’s so sweet of you 🙂 Eb x
Mandy says
Sweet potatoes are one of my favourite vegetables, I just can’t eat enough of them. Love how you’ve jazzed up the couscous. Thanks for adding to #CookBlogShare x
Eb Gargano says
They do taste great, don’t they? And they are so good for you! Hoorah 🙂 Thanks. I really love couscous plain, but jazzed up is even better 🙂 Thanks for your lovely comments. Eb x
janet @ the taste space says
Found this through MFMs and love it. I like how some humble sweet spuds are actually quite health promoting. The pomegranate arils seem like a lovely touch, too. 🙂
Eb Gargano says
Thank you, Janet. Love how good for you sweet potatoes are! And I’m a huge fan of pomegranate seeds – they taste fab and make everything prettier AND they are good for you – win-win-win! Eb x
Kate - gluten free alchemist says
I love harissa…. it always adds a special smokiness. I love sweet potatoes too and am also trying to use them more….. still trying to convert Mr and Miss GF though. Your tagine looks so beautiful….. what an an=mazing colour xx
Eb Gargano says
Me too – it’s such a great flavour! And works really well with the sweet potatoes. Good luck trying to convert your family 🙂 Thanks for your kind comments – it does look pretty, doesn’t it? I think the pomegranate seeds help a lot – they always make food look good (and I love the flavour too!). Eb x
Yasmin says
Looks and sounds incredible!
Eb Gargano says
Thank you, Yasmin – it is pretty scrumptious 🙂 Eb x
Grace says
This was so delicious, thankyou for the recipe! I did add an extra tin of tomatoes though, just to make sure there was plenty of sauce (personal preference). I had also never tried harissa paste before this, and now cant stop adding it to all my meals. Thanks again.
Eb Gargano says
Oh yay! So pleased you liked this…and thanks so much for taking the time to let me know! Hahaha -yes, harissa is rather addictive, isn’t it? Eb 🙂
Louise Fairweather says
Loving the flavours in this. Thanks for sharing #cookblogshare
Eb Gargano says
Thanks, Louise! Eb 🙂
Sarah says
Just finished this and it was absolutely delicious!
Eb Gargano says
Yay – I am so pleased to hear that! Thanks so much for taking the time to let me know, and thank you especially for the 5 stars 😀
Alice says
This is one of the easiest, tastiest meals I’ve ever made! The first thing I noticed when I made it was that I only had to chop onions and sweet potato – a breath of fresh air when usually I have to chop so many different vegetables. I used chilli harissa and added spinach to the mix for extra nutrients (and because I always buy spinach in massive quantities in order to add extra veggies to any and all meals I make) and it turned out incredible. I will be keeping this recipe as a quick, easy and delicious dish for the future. I love it!!
Eb Gargano says
Yay – I am so happy to hear that! Thank you so much for taking the time to write this lovely review… and thanks especially for the 5* rating! Eb 🙂