The Happy Pear serve up this delicious tagine.

Ingredients

  • 100 g red (or white onion, diced)
  • 2 cloves of garlic (finely chopped)
  • 50 g butternut squash (peel, de-seeded and chopped into very small cubes)
  • 60 g carrot (grated)
  • ¼ red pepper, approx. 40g, diced
  • ¼ yellow pepper, approx. 40g, diced
  • ½-1 can of chopped tomatoes (start with half, and add more if necessary during cooking, approx. 200-400g)
  • ¼ tin of cooked chickpeas, approx. 70g
  • ½ tsp. ground black pepper
  • 1 tsp. salt
  • 1 tsp ground cumin (depending on taste)
  • pinch of cayenne pepper/chilli powder (optional)
  • small bunch of fresh coriander (optional)
  • 1 tsp olive oil or low calorie spray oil for cooking

Method

  1. Heat the oil in a deep saucepan on a medium heat. Sauté the (red) onion and garlic in the oil. When the onion begins to sizzle add the peppers and butternut squash.
  2. Add 1 tsp of salt to bring out the juices from the butternut squash. This will help to mix the flavours together. Leave the ingredients to "sweat" on the heat for 5 mins, stirring occasionally.
  3. Then add the chopped tomatoes — start with ½ a can, and if the mixture looks too dry add more, up to a full can. The tomatoes will bind the ingredients together and form the base of the sauce.
  4. Finally, add the grated carrot. The natural sweetness of this vegetable will balance the acidity of the tomatoes.
  5. Again, let the dish simmer on the heat for approx. 10 mins, stirring occasionally to stop the mixture from sticking to the saucepan.
  6. At the end of the 10 mins., add your spices and the chickpeas (canned chickpeas are already cooked so simply need heating). Stir thoroughly so that the flavours are mixed.
  7. Add the chopped coriander and stir through immediately before serving
  8. If you have time, leave the dish to simmer for about 10 mins longer to bring out the richness of the flavours.