WHOLESOME HARMONY

Squash, carrot and borlotti tagine is a versatile delight perfect for batch cooking, freezing, and all dietary preferences.

Technically speaking, this is more a stew than a tagine because it’s cooked in a pan rather than the type of earthenware tagine that lends the dish its name. Of course, if you have a tagine then feel free to cook it that way. This is a great dinner full of hearty vegetables that go so well with the spiced tomato sauce.

Squash, carrot and borlotti tagine

Suitable for batch cooking

Suitable for freezing

Vegan

Vegetarian

Gluten free

Dairy free

SERVES 6

INGREDIENTS

1 tablespoon sunflower or vegetable oil

1 large onion, sliced

2 garlic cloves, crushed or finely grated (shredded)

1 butternut squash, peeled, deseeded and cut into bite-sized pieces

3 carrots, roughly chopped

1½ teaspoons ground cumin

1½ teaspoons ground coriander

1 teaspoon smoked paprika

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

500ml vegetable stock

1 × 400-g tin chopped tomatoes

2 tablespoons tomato paste (concentrated purée)

1 × 400-g tin borlotti beans (cranberry beans), drained and rinsed

75g raisins (optional)

TO SERVE

Plain couscous

Handful of chopped coriander (cilantro)

Method

Heat the oil in a large saucepan with a lid over a medium heat. Add the onion and fry for 6–8 minutes or until beginning to brown. Stir in the garlic and cook for one minute, then stir in the squash and carrot and cook for a few minutes to soften.

Scatter in the spices, stir well and cook for 30 seconds before pouring in the stock and tinned tomatoes. Stir in the tomato paste, put the lid on and cook for 25 minutes.

Stir in the borlotti beans and raisins, if using, and cook with the lid on for a further 20 minutes. Check to see if the vegetables are tender and cook for a further 10–15 minutes, if necessary. If you want to thicken the sauce a little, remove the lid for the last few minutes of the cooking time.

Serve with couscous and a scattering of chopped coriander.

Images and text from The Tinned Tomatoes Cookbook by Samuel Goldsmith, photography by Mowie Kay. Murdoch Books RRP $45.