SPICY MOROCCAN CHICKPEA STEW

FLAVOURED with warming ginger, chilli and other spices, this stew uses canned chickpeas to save time. I sometimes stir cubed sweet potato or butternut squash into the stew along with the chickpeas to make more of a one-pot meal.

Serve with spoonfuls of fat-free natural yogurt and freshly cooked vegetables or salad.

Serves 4

● 1 tbsp sunflower oil

● 2 medium onions, thinly sliced

● 4 garlic cloves, crushed

● 25g (1oz) fresh root ginger, peeled and finely grated

● 1 tsp cumin seeds

● 1 tbsp ground coriander

● 2 tbsp harissa paste

● 400g tin chopped tomatoes

● 2 x 400g tins chickpeas, drained and rinsed

● 2 tbsp tomato puree

● 1 tbsp clear honey

● ½ tsp flaked sea salt, plus extra to season

● Pinch of saffron

● 1 tsp caster sugar

● 350ml (12floz) vegetable stock (made with 1 stock cube)

● 15g (½oz) fresh coriander, leaves roughly chopped, plus leaves to garnish

● 1-2 tbsp fresh lemon juice, to taste

● Ground black pepper

Heat the oil in a large wide-based saucepan or non-stick saute pan. Add the onions and fry over a medium heat for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally until softened and lightly browned. Stir in the garlic, ginger, cumin, coriander and harissa. Tip the tomatoes and chickpeas into the pan and stir in the tomato puree, honey, salt, saffron, sugar and stock. Bring to the boil then reduce the heat, so the sauce simmers gently and cook for about 20 minutes, stirring often. If the sauce becomes too thick, add water.

Stir in the chopped coriander, season and add the lemon juice to taste. Garnish with more coriander leaves just before serving.

You can freeze the cooled stew in a freezerproof container for up to two months. Defrost overnight in the fridge. Reheat in a large non-stick saucepan over a medium heat.