Slow cooker vegetable tagine

Ingredients List

  • 2 tsp. vegetable oil
  • 1 red onion, finely sliced
  • 4 garlic cloves, crushed
  • 2 tsp. ground cinnamon
  • 2 tsp. ground cumin seeds
  • 2 tsp. ground coriander seeds
  • 2.5cm piece fresh root ginger, peeled and grated (thumbsized)
  • 2 tsp. tomato purée
  • 1 tbsp. harissa paste
  • 1 tbsp. runny honey (can use vegan honey, agave, or maple syrup to make it vegan)
  • 500 g sweet potato, peeled and cut into 2.5cm pieces
  • 2 aubergines, cut into 2cm pieces
  • 300 ml vegetable stock
  • 400 g tin chopped tomatoes
  • 400 g tin chickpeas, drained
  • 100 g dried apricots, whole
  • 100 g dried prunes, whole
  • 100 g dates, desseeded, chunky chopped
  • 1 preserved lemon, deseeded and roughly chopped
  • Small handful of fresh parsley or coriander, roughly chopped (optional)
  • bag of roasted, salted cashews

Method

  1. Heat oil in a frying pan over medium heat. Add the onion with a large pinch of salt and fry for 10min until beginning to soften. Add garlic and fry for 2min, until fragrant.
  2. Add the cinnamon, cumin, coriander, ginger, tomato purée, harissa and honey to the pan. Fry for a further 1min.
  3. Scrape onion mixture into the bowl of the slow cooker and stir in the remaining ingredients apart from the preserved lemons and herbs. Season lightly.
  4. Cover and cook on low for 6hr, until the sweet potato is cooked through and tender. Stir through the preserved lemon and check seasoning. Sprinkle over the parsley and coriander, if using, and serve with flatbreads or couscous if you like.
  5. sprinkle a small handful of cashews when serving.

Notes & thoughts

The original recipe didn't use coriander or cumin seeds, but it was all I had so used that instead. Flavour was phenomenal. This recipe feeds 6 and doubled this recipe for the big hoose, one easily fed 12 people with leftovers. Served with couscous and flatbreads.