Okra & Chickpea Tagine

From EatingWell: September/October 2008 — Subscribe Now!

This quick and easy okra and chickpea stew is full of Moroccan flavors. The name “tagine” refers to the two-part, cone-shaped casserole dish in which countless slow-cooked Moroccan dishes are prepared. You don't need to prepare this in a tagine dish—it works well in a large saucepan—but if you have one, here's a chance to use it.

READER'S COMMENT:

"I've made this twice and it was terrific both times. I love spicy food, but found that a full teaspoon of harissa was a bit much. My boyfriend who likes his food much spicier than I thought it was perfect. One warning: when you blanch...

6 servings

Active Time: 50 minutes

Total Time: 50 minutes

Nutrition Profile

Ingredients

1 pound fresh or frozen okra, stem ends trimmed, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
10 sprigs fresh cilantro, plus more leaves for garnish
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 red bell pepper, finely diced
1 medium onion, finely diced
3 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
3 plum tomatoes, diced, or 1 cup drained canned diced tomatoes
1/2 cup vegetable broth, or reduced-sodium chicken broth
3/4 teaspoon ground cumin
1 15-ounce can chickpeas, rinsed
3/4 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon harissa, (see Ingredient Note) or hot sauce, or to taste

Preparation

Place a large bowl of ice water next to the stove. Bring a large saucepan of water to a boil. Add okra and cook for 2 minutes. Transfer the okra with a slotted spoon to the ice water. Drain.
Tie cilantro sprigs together with kitchen string.
Heat oil in a tagine dish set over a heat diffuser or a large saucepan over medium-high heat. Add bell pepper. Cook, stirring, until soft, 2 to 5 minutes. Transfer to a bowl with a slotted spoon.
Add onion, garlic, ginger and pepper to the pan. Cook, stirring, until the onion is soft, 3 to 6 minutes. Mix in tomatoes, broth, cumin, the okra, cilantro sprigs and half the bell pepper. Reduce heat to medium; partially cover. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the okra is soft, 10 to 15 minutes. Stir in chickpeas and salt; cook for 4 minutes. Remove from the heat; discard the cilantro sprigs. Stir in harissa (or hot sauce). Serve sprinkled with the remaining bell pepper and cilantro leaves, if desired.

Tips & Notes

Make Ahead Tip: Equipment: Kitchen string

Ingredient note: Harissa is a fiery Tunisian chile paste commonly used in North African cooking. Find it at specialty-food stores, mustaphas.com or amazon.com. Harissa in a tube will be much hotter than that in a jar. You can substitute Chinese or Thai chile-garlic sauce for it.

Nutrition

Per serving: 136 calories; 6 g fat (1 g sat, 4 g mono); 0 mg cholesterol; 20 g carbohydrates; 5 g protein; 7 g fiber; 443 mg sodium; 389 mg potassium.

Nutrition Bonus: Vitamin C (80% daily value), Vitamin A (25% dv), Folate (20% dv).

1 Carbohydrate Serving

Exchanges: 1/2 starch, 2 vegetable, 1 fat