For me, nothing is more comforting than a stew. As I am primarily vegetarian, however, this usually means some variant of beans and vegetables, often closer to a chili than a stew. And while chili is wonderful, this dish, with its rich Moroccan flavor profile, offers a change away from the flavor profiles of the Southwest. Though there are some traditionally Indian spices in this preparation, they do not add heat, if that is a concern. They do, however, bring a lot of depth of flavor.
This can be made on the stovetop in about an hour and a half from start to finish, or prepared in a slow cooker over about 8 hours.
THE INGREDIENTS
1 cup dried lentils
1 can garbanzo beans
1 onion, chopped
4 garlic cloves, diced
2 cups eggplant, diced
2 medium zucchini, diced
3 carrots, chopped
2 cups cauliflower florets (you can, of course, alter the veggies depending on your tastes and what you have around the house)
1 14 oz can diced tomatoes, juice included
2 tsp garam masala
2 tsp cumin
1 tsp coriander
1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
1/4 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp asafetida (this is an Indian spice that really punctuates the other spices in this dish. You can prepare the stew without it).
1-inch segment of ginger, peeled and finely chopped
4 cups vegetable broth or water
Condiments:
1 cup toasted slivered almonds
1 cup golden raisins
Cooked cous cous as an accompaniment (all optional)
Directions:
Pour small amount of oil into a dutch oven or large, covered saucepan. Add garlic and spices and cook, stirring til fragrant, 1-2 minutes. If continuing on stovetop, add remaining veggies (and tomatoes) and cook until somewhat soft. (3-4 minutes). Next, add the lentils, beans and broth and bring to a boil. Once boiling, cover and reduce heat, allowing to simmer for 45 minutes to an hour, when lentils are soft. For a thicker consistency, blend with an immersion blender until you reach the desired consistency. You can also blend about half of the stew into a regular blender, then return the blended portion with the unblended.
Alternate Slow Cooker Directions:
Pour small amount of oil into a dutch oven or large, covered saucepan. Add garlic and spices and cook, stirring til fragrant, 1-2 minutes. Place remaining ingredients in slow cooker and cook on low for 8-10 hours. For a thicker consistency, blend with an immersion blender until you reach the desired consistency. You can also blend about half of the stew into a regular blender, then return the blended portion with the unblended.
While the stew is stewing, heat a small skillet over medium-low heat. Add the almonds and toss/flip/stir until they are fragrant and toasted. Be careful because nuts go from raw to almost burned very quickly once they get going, even though it seems to take them a few minutes to begin toasting.
