Vegetarian mains
Moroccan spiced carrot and chickpea bake with cauliflower couscous
This is a baked take on a tagine-style arrangement of spiced vegetables, chickpeas and tomatoes. Instead of using wheat couscous, we're packing in an extra portion of veg by using cauliflower couscous instead.
Cook's notes
Instead of using wheat couscous, we're packing in an extra portion of veg by using cauliflower couscous instead. I first heard of blitzed cauliflower being used in this way a few years back, from an Icelandic chef. It's everywhere now, beloved of the 'free-from' food gang.
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 cinnamon
- oil for roasting and frying, e.g. sunflower or light olive
- 25g sultanas
- 1 tin chickpeas
- 30g parsley
- 1 lemon
- 25g flaked almonds
- 1 tin cherry tomatoes
- ½ cauliflower
- dollop yoghurt
- salt and pepper
Method
-
Step 1
Preheat oven to 200°C/Gas Mark 5. Peel and chop the carrots into bite-sized (about 2-3cm) chunks. Peel the red onions and chop through the root into about
-
Step 2
10 wedges each onion. Peel and crush or finely chop the garlic. Peel and finely grate the ginger.
-
Step 3
Mix them with the turmeric, cumin, dried mint and cinnamon, 3 tablespoons of oil and a little salt and pepper. Toss the carrots and onions in a baking dish with the spiced oil. Roast for 25 minutes, tossing once during cooking.
-
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 and rinse. Wash and chop the parsley. Finely zest half the lemon. Put the flaked almonds in a dry non-stick frying pan. Heat gently, stirring often, until lightly golden and toasted. Transfer to a small bowl.
-
Step 5
After 25 minutes, remove the carrots and onion from the oven. Add in the tin of cherry tomatoes and half the chickpeas. Toss together and return to the oven for 15 minutes, or until the carrots are just tender.
-
Step 6
In the meantime, halve the cauliflower and break or chop into florets. Use all of it if small medium, half if large. Blitz in a food processor until it resembles coarse breadcrumbs, in batches if needs be. Alternatively, you can grate it. Transfer the cauliflower crumbs to the frying pan. Add a good glug of olive oil and the finely grated zest from the lemon.
-
Step 7
Stir-fry it for just a couple of minutes, then stir in the parsley and toasted almonds. Drain the sultanas and add those, with a squeeze of lemon juice, a little salt and more olive oil to taste. Remove the veg from the oven, check the seasoning and serve with the cauliflower couscous and a dollop of yoghurt.