Vegetable Tagine with Butter Bulgur Wheat
You can get artichoke bottoms in brine from most Turkish/international stores but you can easily substitute with artichoke hearts and they work just as well. The bottoms bring a lovely texture and flavour to the dish so if you can find them it's worth it.
Ingredients
1 tbsp olive oil
1 onion, diced
1 garlic cloves, crushed and finely sliced
200g celery, large chunks
200g carrots, large chunks
Salt and pepper
1 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp ground cinnamon
½ tsp ground coriander
¼ tsp paprika
¼ tsp cayenne
Pinch of nutmeg
1 veg stock pot dissolved in 400ml water
1 tbsp runny honey
2 cloves
1 bay leaf
200g artichoke bottoms, quartered
65g dried prunes, quartered
½ tin chickpeas
Small handful parsley, finely chopped
For the bulgur wheat
200g bulgur wheat
½ veg stock cube (optional)
400ml boiling water
40g butter
Salt and pepper
Served with
Plain Yoghurt
Method
In a large saucepan on a medium heat, add 1 tbsp of olive oil and add the chopped onion and fry gently until translucent.
Add the garlic and cook for a few more minutes, then add the chopped carrots and celery and season well. Put a lid on the saucepan and sweat the vegetables until they begin to soften slightly – about 10-15 minutes.
Add the ground spices and cook for 2-3 minutes. Meanwhile, boil a kettle for the stock.
Pour in the vegetable stock to the saucepan, it should just cover the vegetables, then add the honey, cloves and bay leaf. Remove the lid and cook until the vegetables are soft – about 30-40 minutes or until the liquid has reduced to a thicker consistency.
Add the artichokes, chickpeas and prunes to the vegetable tagine and cook for a further 10 minutes.
Meanwhile, add the bulgur wheat to a small saucepan on a medium heat. Crumble in half a stock cube and pour over the boiling hot water. After 5 minutes of simmering, cover with a lid, turn off the heat and let it stand on the hob for 10 minutes, and when there is no liquid left at the bottom add the butter and a little seasoning.
Before serving the vegetable tagine, remove the bay leaf and cloves. Serve with the bulgur wheat and scatter over the parsley. Also great served with Beluza Chermoula and plain yoghurt.
Enjoy!
