All of the Moroccan-inspired Christmas dishes this year revolve around this Chickpeas Tagine. I've been eyeing a tagine for a while, now. It's one of the few culinary pots that I don't already own. So, I'm absolutely on board with picking one up for this very specific dish. Tagine's are a North African earthenware pot. The conical shape creates a uniquely moist and warm cooking environment where the steam rises to the top and then filters back down to the dish. This means that you're not going to have to use as much water as with other cooking methods. This is similar to a Dutch oven or crock pot, though. If you don't want to splurge on a tagine, I'd recommend a crock pot or even just a large cast iron dish with a lid.
This dish isn't my brain child, though. It's the only dish that I didn't make this Christmas. I don't know where the inspiration for this came from, though! But I am a fan of sweet potatoes and chickpeas, though. So, I'm fully on board and going to key the rest of you in on this dish. Especially because everything else I made this year revolved around Chickpeas Tagine as the entrée.
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Variations of Chickpeas Tagine
I'm honestly not the biggest fan of making chickpeas. Don't get me wrong, I absolutely adore chickpeas! But chickpeas in the can just do not cut it. They're in brine. They don't blend well. And they take on the taste of the can more than they should. The problem with chickpeas is that they do best soaking overnight. I quick soaked them for this recipe because they're supposed to remain whole. Although you are going to want to soak them overnight for a softer finish for things like hummus. That having been said, chickpeas are absolutely delicious! I predominantly make them for hummus and falafel. Although they're just as good in salads or as a beans substitute.
This Chickpeas Tagine consists of roasted sweet potatoes, quick soak chickpeas, red bell peppers, and freshly chopped tomatoes with shallots, ginger, and vegetable broth. It's a fun first recipe to make in a tagine. Although, don't think that you necessarily need specialty kitchen equipment to make this recipe! You can also substitute a Dutch oven on the stove or even a crock pot or rice cooker, in a pinch.
You can buy canned chickpeas. Although I'm partial to making them myself. I'm not going to say that it isn't a pain! But I do find it worth it in the end. You can either soak the dried chickpeas overnight (which is simpler, but requires forethought) or quick soak them (which is faster). Quick soaked chickpeas won't soften as easily. They tend to have a bit of a crunch to them. Which is fine for this dish! Although, I wouldn't recommend it for something like hummus where you're going to want a more even, soft cook.
Overnight:Place dried chickpeas in a bowl and cover with cold water. Soak overnight, or for 12-24 hours.The chickpeas will roughly double in size, so make sure to use a large enough bowl and add enough water to accommodate this. Roughly 2-3 inches should be enough. Although it can also help to drain and refill with cold water at least once, especially if you’re soaking for more than 12 hours.
Quick Soak:Add chickpeas to a pot and fill with 8 cups of water. Bring, uncovered, to a boil. Once the water comes to a rolling boil, add the lid and remove from heat. Let sit for an hour.
Regardless of what method you used, drain and rinse the chickpeas.
Return the beans to the pot and cover with another 6 cups of water. Bring to a boil and then reduce heat to a simmer.
Simmer for 1½-2 hours, or until tender. You may need to adjust the temperature to keep them from boiling as they cook down.They should still keep their shape and not turn to mush. But theoretically putting a fork in them would split them in half.
Drain the chickpeas immediately after cooking.
Roast Sweet Potatoes
Preheat oven to 425 degrees Fahrenheit.
Wrap sweet potatoes in aluminum foil and cook until tender. This should take about 45-60 minutes, or until you can stick a fork in them with ease.If you like, you can also peel the sweet potatoes beforehand. You're going to slice them up later, so the skin is going to break apart a little bit. If you don't like this texturally, you can peel them before cooking.Otherwise, you can also slice them beforehand and bake on a well-greased baking dish. This will also cut the baking time in half, if you're pressed for time.
After baking, let cool to the touch and slice into 1/4-inch strips.
Tagine
Add the chickpeas, tomatoes, bell pepper, shallot, ginger, vegetable broth and all of the spices to the tagine Stir until combined.
Place the lid on the tagine and cook for 20 minutes, or until the produce has softened. Make sure to stir occasionally.
Tips, Tricks, & Notes
I used a tagine for this recipe. However, you don't need to go out and buy a new kitchen appliance if you don't want to! You could easily use a Dutch oven on the stove or even a crock pot or rice cooker, in a pinch.
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