A simple delicious Tagine Recipe with Eggplant and Chickpeas infused with Moroccan spices served over cinnamon-scented couscous. This flavorful Eggplant Chickpea Stew is vegan and gluten-free! Video included.
This flavorful Moroccan Stew or “Tagine” is made with chickpeas, caramelized eggplant, and a fragrant Moroccan spice blend called Ras El Hanout. It’s luscious and hearty yet totally plant-based and vegan. It can be made ahead, as leftovers get even more flavorful as the flavors have time to meld.
What is a tagine?
A tagine can either refer to a traditional clay cooking vessel with a hooded lid, or a slow-cooked stew typically from Morocco and other North African countries like Algeria and Egypt.
how to make Eggplant Tagine | 60-sec video!
Can you make a tagine, without a tagine?
Yes, you can make a tagine (a slow-cooked stew) without the clay vessel, using a dutch oven, or another ovenproof, lidded baking dish.
This vegan tagine recipe starts with cutting and salting the eggplant. Eggplant is so meaty and filling here, you really won’t miss the meat at all.
Cut the eggplant into large triangular wedges. Place in a bowl of salted water and place a lid over top to keep them submerged for 20 minutes.
Salting the eggplant will not only help remove bitterness but will also prevent the eggplant from soaking up too much oil.
Pat the eggplant dry.
Working in batches, sear two sides of the eggplant until deeply golden.
No need to cook the eggplant all the way through here as it will cook through in the oven. Set these aside.
To the same pan, saute the onion, garlic, bell pepper, celery for the flavorful base of the stew.
Season with Ras El Hanout. You can buy this flavorful Ras el Hanout, or make this version at home.
Add crushed or diced tomatoes.
Let the tomatoes cook down.
Add fresh parsley.
Stir in raisins, which will give the stew a very subtle but lovely sweetness. Chopped dried apricots will work too.
Stir in the canned chickpeas.
Add the seared eggplant into the stew.
Nestle in the eggplant into the stew and cover.
Place this in the oven until the eggplant is translucent and cooked through, about 25 minutes.
Give a gentle stir, taste and adjust seasonings and salt to your liking. You want the stew generously seasoned as it will be served over couscous, mellowing out the flavors. Sometimes I’ll add a little more Ras El Hanout.
***Keep in mind, Ras El Hanout is a spice blend– so every version is different. Start conservatively and add more to taste.
Drizzle with olive oil, sprinkle with fresh herbs and serve with couscous!
On the Homefront: We made it safe and sound to our Airbnb in the lovely little town of Encinitas. We brought our cat Bell, my sourdough starter (named Vita), and a flat of microgreens. All survived relatively unscathed.
On the long drive down, I listened to a few podcasts that may resonate. Everyday Wellness Podcast #131 with Dr. Cate Shanahan, Found My Fitness Podcast with Dr. Jed Fahey on Sulforaphane (the inspiration for the microgreens post), and this interview with James Hollis on Insights at the Edge on “finding meaning vs. happiness”.
The days are longer and warmer here and we’ve been hiking and biking and getting our feet in the sand. We watched the big red sun dip into the ocean last night, and felt the magnitude of that endless horizon, so open and spacious, like an invitation…
Hope you enjoy this decadent, Moroccan Tagine with Eggplant and Chickpeas! It’s healthy, vegan, and bursting with Moroccan flavors.
xoxo
More recipes you may like:
- Roasted Eggplant Lasagna with Arugula Pesto
- Meltingly Tender Moroccan Eggplant
- Chinese Eggplant with Spicy Szechuan Sauce
- Our 20 Best Chickpea Recipes!
- Tunisian Chickpea Stew with Carrots and Harissa
Moroccan Eggplant Chickpea Tagine
- Prep Time: 30
- Cook Time: 40
- Total Time: 1 hour 10 minutes
- Yield: 6
- Category: vegan dinner, vegan recipes
- Method: tagine, stovetop, oven
- Cuisine: moroccan
- Diet: Vegan
Description
Delicious, healthy Tagine Recipe with Eggplant and Chickpeas- seasoned with Moroccan spices and served over couscous. A simple plant-based dinner recipe!
Ingredients
- 1 extra-large eggplant (or two small)
- 2 teaspoons salt
- Bowl of water
- 2–4 tablespoons olive oil (divided) or coconut oil.
- 1 onion, diced
- 6–8 garlic cloves, rough chopped
- 1 cup celery
- 1 red bell pepper (or large carrot)
- 1 tablespoon, ras el hanout, more taste
- 1 teaspoon cumin
- 1 teaspoon coriander
- 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
- 14-ounce can diced or crushed tomatoes
- 1/3 cup raisins (or chopped dried apricots)
- 1 teaspoon salt, more to taste
- 1/2 teaspoon pepper
- 1 can chickpeas, drained, rinsed.
- 1 cup veggie broth
Garnishes: Cinnamon scented couscous, flat-leaf parsley, olive oil, optional yogurt, optional Aleppo chili flakes
Cinnamon-Scented Couscous (serves 4)
- 1 3/4 cup veggie stock
- 1–2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 small cinnamon stick ( or 1/2 teaspoon)
- 1/2 teaspoon cumin
- 1/2 teaspoon granulated garlic ( or onion)
- 1/2 teaspoon salt, more to taste
- 1 1/2 cup dry couscous
Instructions
PREP EGGPLANT: Quarter the eggplant, and cut into large chunks (1 1/2 inches at widest part). Place in a big bowl, cover with cool water just to enough to cover, and stir in the salt. Place a plate over top to keep the eggplant submerged 20 minutes. Drain and pat dry. (Don’t rinse.)
Preheat the oven to 375F
Pan Sear: In a large dutch oven, or ovenproof skillet, over medium-high heat, heat 2 tablespoons oil. Working in 2 batches, brown two sides of the eggplant, until golden, then set these aside. No need to cook through.
Make the stew: Add more oil to the same pan, and the onion and saute 2-3 minutes, stirring. Add the garlic, celery and red pepper and lower heat, cook until tender about 5 minutes. Lower heat to low. Add the spices, canned tomatoes (and juices), raisins, salt, pepper, chickpeas and veggie broth. Bring to simmer, stirring.
Nestle in the eggplant and give the pan a good shake so the stew levels. It should be like a stew-like. If it seems dry, add a little water. Drizzle with a little olive oil, cover tightly and place in the warm oven.
Bake 20-25 minutes or until eggplant is tender and cooked through. While it’s baking make the couscous.
Remove the lid, taste adding more salt to taste, keeping in mind the couscous will soak up some of the salt. If you feel the stew needs more flavor overall, add a little more ras el hanout, a 1/2 teaspoon at a time, tasting as you go. If it seems watery, bake uncovered for a few minutes. If dry, add a little water. To serve, Sprinkle with optional Aleppo chili flakes and fresh Parsley. I like adding an additional drizzle of olive oil, or a dollop of yogurt, up to you.
Serve with the cinnamon-scented couscous.
To make couscous: Place broth, oil, spices and salt in a medium pot, and bring to boil. Stir in couscous. Cover and remove from heat. Let stand 7 minutes. Uncover and fluff with fork. Adjust salt.
Notes
Soaking the eggplant, not only seasons it, it helps remove some bitterness and helps the eggplant absorb less oil. Don’t skip this step.
You can make your own Ras El Hanout here.
If leaving the raisins and apricots out, you will need to add a little sweetness- honey, sugar, something, to taste. 1-3 teaspoons.
Feel free to cook and bake in a tagine – if using a brand new tagine, make doubly sure you soak it first.
Keywords: eggplant tagine, eggplant chickpea tagine, moroccan chickpea stew, moroccan eggplant chickpea stew
I love this recipe. It does not take too much time, and yet the flavor is delicious and complex. Everything is perfectly balanced. It’s also great hot or cold, which makes it great for traveling. Thank you for sharing 🙂
★★★★★
thanks, Amber glad you enjoyed this!
Made this yesterday – tastes even better the day after! Served with the cinnamon scented couscous which is perfect! Thank you for posting the recipe.
★★★★★
Glad you enjoyed Amanda!
Sylvia, I have made this several times, and it is just delicious! Have you prepared this in advance and frozen it? I’m trying to get ready for a week of visitors, and just wondered how the eggplant would fare if I made it now, and froze it till needed.
Thanks so much,
Nancy
★★★★★
Hi Nancy- I have not tried freezing it. I do hesitate with the eggplant, but honestly I don’t know for sure??
Absolutely delicious! Does the nutricional info include the couscous?
★★★★★
Hi Stephy, yes it does and sorry for the delay!
This was a superb recipe, will look forward to making it again. (I used chicken broth in both places because I had so much open. No issues.) Thanks for sharing!
★★★★★
Thanks Melissa! Glad you enjoyed this!
Your recipes are just out of this world!! You are 100% my go to for cooking inspo and amazing recipes! Thank you, thank you, thank you for another delicious dinner!
★★★★★
Thanks so much Faye!
Have you tried it with preserved lemon?
I did, and for some reason prefered it better without. But of course Maureen, feel free to give it a try, or serve on the side ( minced)?
No, not with preserved lemon. Not really a fan.
Made this easy-to-follow and inexpensive recipe. It was so delicious! Sylvia, as usual you have hit it out of the park. My husband and I couldn’t get enough of this eggplant & chickpea dish along with the cous cous which was divine. We try to eat at least two to three vegetarian meals weekly so this was right up our alley. The spices were spot on. I served it with homemade tzatziki and grilled pita. We’ll be eating this for several days – it makes plenty and we’re not sorry either! It’s even better the second day. MAKE THIS!
★★★★★
Thanks Dana- I’m so glad you enjoyed this.