Moroccan Apricot Tagine “Couscous”
This Moroccan Apricot Tagine “Couscous” is a beautifully aromatic vegetable stew with just enough heat to give the dish a nice kick without overpowering the sweet spices. Made with quinoa, it’s a great way to enjoy a couscous without having the gluten.
I saw this recipe, and I jumped out of my seat. I had to make it! I am a bit of a sucker for spiced recipes during this time of the year, and this one did not disappoint. I guarantee you that you’ll keep wanting more. The challenge will be not to finish the whole pot in one evening cause once the spices marinate in the fridge overnight, believe it or not, the dish actually tastes even better.
Traditionally, a Moroccan Apricot Tagine “Couscous” is prepared in a tagine, which is a Moroccan ceramic cooking pot where you would place it on hot charcoal to cook your tagine. This process would obviously develop some aromas that you couldn’t recreate at home. As much as I would love to cook it the traditional way, I do not own a tagine, and I definitely do not own a charcoal stove. Many online tagine recipes prepare them using a slow cooking process.
However, I bought this Instant Pot the other day that I have been dying to try out. OMG! I was floored on how easy it was (I’m not at all sponsored by Instant Pot). Talk about one-pot wonders! The flavor was intense! It tasted like it had been simmering all day! Even my non-vegan bf was shaken to the core of how delicious it was. It does have a little heat to it because of the harissa, which is a hot pepper paste, but it is not overpowering. If you don’t like spicy dishes, you can always hold off on the harissa. The sweet flavors of the apricot are just embedded throughout the dish and married so well with all the spices. The best part is that you are done within 30 minutes from beginning to end. I look forward to hearing your experiences with this dish!
Other delicious Middle Eastern Recipes
- Healthy Vegan Falafel
- Eggplant Ratatouille (Imam Bayildi Variation)
- Stuffed Eggplant and Tahini Sauce
- Roasted Red Pepper Walnut Dip (Muhammara)
Moroccan Apricot Tagine “Couscous”
Equipment
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Pressure Cooker
Ingredients
- 1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- 1 tsp ground cumin
- ½ tsp ground ginger (or 1 tsp grated ginger)
- ¼ tsp ground cloves pressed
- ½ tsp ground cardamom
- ¼ tsp ground coriander
- ¼ tsp ground allspice
- 1 medium sweet onion diced
- 4 garlic cloves
- 2 tbsp tomato paste
- 1 tbsp harissa (hot pepper paste) or sambal olek
- ½ tsp cinnamon
- 2½ cups vegetable broth
- 4 cups zucchini chopped into ½ in chunks
- 2 cups carrots cut into ½ inch chunks
- 1 cup dried apricots chopped
- 1 can (398ml or 14 oz) chickpeas drained & rinsed
- Salt and black pepper to taste
- ½ cup Pine Nuts
For Serving
- 3 cups quinoa cooked (1 ½ cups raw)
- sliced almonds
- 3 tbsp fresh mint chopped
Instructions
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Put all your ingredients into the instant pot and stir.
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Program your instant pot for 15 minutes on the pressure cooker setting.
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Once your timer has finished and the steam released, it is safe to open your lid. Serve with quinoa, top with mint and almonds. Enjoy!
Do you add the quinoa to the pot too, or cook it separately and serve the stew on top? I’m confused because you say to serve on top but you also say to add everything to the pot. I’m dying to try this but waiting for your answer..thanks. Eric
Hi Eric,
Thank you so much for writing. Im sorry for the confusion. I meant to put the quinoa in as a part of serving sub ingredients. The mint, quinoa and almonds should all be a part of that sub group and should only be added once the pressure cooker is done. I hope you enjoy this, I sure did! Let me know if it works out ok. Cheers!
How would you make this dish, if you do not have an insta pot…..stove top?
You can definitely make this on a stove top. Leave it on low at a slow simmer for at least 45 minutes or until vegetables are tender and flavours have developed. Let me know how it goes I would love to know how long you simmer it and i’ll add it as an alternative for others who would like to make it on a stove top.