Tunisian vegetable and chickpea tajine ( 6 peoples )

Ingredients :

• 100 g(½ cup) dried chickpeas, soaked overnight in cold water
• olive oil 
• 1onion, diced
• 1½ tspsweet paprika
• 1½ tspchilli powder
• 2 tspground cumin
• 2 tspground coriander
• 1 tspground white pepper
• 2carrots, cut into 3 cm chunks
• 8small potatoes, peeled and cut in half
• 2parsnips, cut into quarters
• 1sweet potato, cut into 3 cm chunks
• 2 tbsplemon juice
• 500 ml(2 cups) vegetable stock
• 250 ml(1 cup) tomato sugo
• salt
• 2zucchini, cut into quarters
• 100 gbaby spinach leaves
• ½ cupcoriander leaves

Instructions :

Soaking time overnight

Put soaked chickpeas in a medium-sized saucepan, cover with water and bring to the boil over a medium heat. Reduce heat and cook until soft, about 30–40 minutes. Drain and set aside.

Heat a large ovenproof casserole or saucepan over a medium–high heat. Add oil and onion and cook for 5–6 minutes, stirring often, until softened. Add spices, carrots, potatoes, parsnips and sweet potato. Cook for a further 3–4 minutes, stirring often. Add lemon juice, stock, tomato sugo and season with salt. Bring to the boil.

Preheat oven to 180°C.

Cover the tagine with a lid and cook in the preheated oven for 45 minutes. Check to see whether the vegetables are tender. Add zucchini and cooked chickpeas and cook for a further 10 minutes. Add spinach leaves and stir through until they wilt. Check seasoning.

Sprinkle with coriander leaves to serve.

Cook's notes :

Oven temperatures are for conventional; if using fan-forced (convection), reduce the temperature by 20˚C. | We use Australian tablespoons and cups: 1 teaspoon equals 5 ml; 1 tablespoon equals 20 ml; 1 cup equals 250 ml. | All herbs are fresh (unless specified) and cups are lightly packed. | All vegetables are medium size and peeled, unless specified. | All eggs are 55-60 g, unless specified.