Sweet Potato Tajine


sweet potato tajine
sweet potato tajine photo by carmen troesser

Ingredients

1 lb. sweet potato, peeled and cut into 1-inch chunks
1½ cups vegetable broth, divided
2 Tbsp. ghee or olive oil
6 small shallots, peeled and halved crosswise
1 red bell pepper, seeded and cut into 1-inch chunks
1 yellow bell pepper, seeded and cut into 1-inch chunks
2 tsp. minced garlic
1 tsp. grated ginger
2 Tbsp. honey or brown sugar
2 tsp. ras al-hanout
1 tsp. turmeric
¼ tsp. cayenne pepper
¼ tsp. kosher salt
¼ tsp. paprika
1 14.5-oz. can diced tomatoes, drained
1 15-oz. can garbanzo beans, drained and rinsed
½ cup pomegranate seeds
2 Tbsp. chopped cilantro
4 cups prepared couscous



Preparation

• Remove enough oven racks to make room for the covered tajine.

• Place the sweet potato chunks in a microwave-safe dish with ¼ cup vegetable broth. Cover and microwave on high until the potatoes begin to soften, approximately 4 minutes. Set aside.

• Melt the ghee in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the shallots and saute 1 minute. Add the bell peppers and saute 4 minutes, until the shallots and peppers start to brown. Lower the heat to medium, add the garlic and ginger and saute another 30 seconds, until fragrant. Add the honey, ras al-hanout, turmeric, cayenne pepper, salt and paprika, stirring to coat the vegetables evenly.

• Pour the vegetable mixture and any pan drippings into an 11-inch tajine base. Layer the sweet potato chunks on top of the vegetables, followed by the tomatoes and garbanzo beans. Pour the remaining 1¼ cups vegetable broth over the top. Place the tajine lid on the base and slide the dish into the cold oven.

• Heat the oven to 300 degrees. Bake until the shallots and sweet potatoes are fork-tender, about 30 minutes.

• Serve in the tajine, garnished with pomegranate seeds and cilantro. Serve with prepared couscous on the side.