Moroccan Vegetable Stew with Couscous

Moroccan Vegetable Stew with Couscous

Recipe By : Jump Up & Kiss Me/tpogue@idsonline.com

2 tablespoons olive oil
1 large yellow onion -- chopped
6 cloves garlic -- minced
2 whole red potatoes -- diced
1 cup carrot -- diced
2 teaspoons cardamom -- ground
1 zucchini -- cut in half and sliced
1 yellow squash -- cut in half-moons, sliced
1/2 cauliflower florets
2 teaspoons curry powder
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon black pepper -- ground
1 teaspoon cayenne -- ground
1/2 cup raisins or currants -- soaked 15 minutes in warm water to plump
16 ounces tomato -- diced
15 ounces tomato sauce
2 tablespoons honey
15 ounces garbanzo beans
6 cups water
3 cups couscous -- uncooked
1/2 cup dried figs -- coarsely chopped
1/3 cup almonds -- sliced
1 pint plain yogurt -- for garnish
1 bunch fresh mint -- chopped, for garnish

In a heavy stockpot, heat the olive oil and saute the onion, garlic, potatoes, carrots, and cardamom. Stir until fragrant, then add the zucchini, yellow squash, and cauliflower. Add curry powder, salt, black pepper, and cayenne and stir. Drain the raisins and add to the pot along with the tomatoes, tomato sauce, honey, and garbanzo beans. Cover and simmer for 30 minutes, or until the vegetables are tender, adding up to 1 cup of water if the stew appears dry.
While the stew is cooking, bring the water to a boil in a saucepan and stir in the couscous. Cook for 1 minute, then cover and turn off the heat, letting the couscous sit for 10 minutes. After the couscous has sat for 5 minutes, stir the figs and almonds into the stew.
To serve, fluff up the couscous with a fork. Spoon a mound of couscous on each plate and form a well in the center. Ladle a portion of stew into the well. Garnish with several tablespoons of the yogurt and fresh mint. Serve the remaining yogurt on the side.


NOTES : The Jump Up and Kiss Me Spicy Vegetarian Cooking by Jennifer Trainer Thompson was called to the attention of the Food/Wine group by Brenda Adams. Thanks Brenda, it's a wonderful cookbook published by Ten Speed Press of Berkeley, CA.

Serves 6 to 8
Moroccan food is startlingly aromatic. Perfumed with the fragrance of cardamom and accented with the sweetness of currants, one bite of this spicy stew will have you thinking you've just arrived in the city of Fez for a culinary adventure. It's delicious served with Fennel Salad

Dan's notes: Good stew! It's perfect amount of spicy, and the figs make it the perfect amount of sweet. The mint and yogurt really add something too.