Sweet potato, eggplant and chick pea tagine

I love meat but I don't eat it often and mostly when I go out. When I do, I try to eat organic. The smell of the ranch/slaughterhouse off I-5 near Pleasanton was enough to turn me off most everything available in the shops.

The kicker is that my boyfriend is mostly a vegetarian with fish the only critter he'll eat. 90% of the time he prefers all manner of salads, reluctantly tucking into cooked vegetables (he fears the loss of nutrients and benefits with cooking). So, that doesn't leave a lot of wiggle room if I am getting my cooking groove on, but this tagine evoked lots of "mmmm's in its eating, not just from him, but from other carnivores at a recent dinner party.

When it comes to savouries, I rarely stick to quantities as I rely largely on my palate and intuitive sense of balance, so take these quantities in stride and adapt to your taste.

4 sweet potatoes, cubed into 1/2" pieces
4 Japanese eggplants (no need to salt to drain liquid) cubed into 1/2" pieces
1 large white onion, chopped
2 cups chick peas. Prefer to use dried, soaked overnight, then boiled in salted water for 30-40 mins
2 carrots, chopped into 1/4" pieces
4-5 cloves (or more!) of minced garlic fresh ginger root, minced
1 TBsp cumin
1 stick of cinnamon
6-8 cardamom pods, toasted in pods, then seeds removed
10 coriander pods, toasted in pods
vegetable stock-up to 1 litre but may not need all of it
6- Chopped dates (use less if you're not so keen in them or replace with dried/fresh apricots)


In a large iron pot over heat enough olive oil to coat the bottom. Add sweet potatoes, onion and carrots. Saute till soft and onions cooked through. In a mortar and pestle, grind the cardamom and coriander seeds. Add to the pot with the garlic, ginger.Toss in the cinnamon stick (I have also used turmeric-optional). Add 3 cups of stock, but if depending on how many sweet potatoes and carrots you used, you may need to add more such that it is thick 'soup' vs. overly runny. Let it simmer for 10-15 minutes over medium heat.

Add the eggplant, chickpeas, dates, then simmer until it thickens and the liquid is absorbed forming a hearty thick stew consistency. I like to cook it early in the day until 10 minutes shy of done, so that it can take a few hours or even overnight, for the flavors to settle and come together. Then before serving, I finish it either on the stove or in the oven if I am also serving something that requires baking/roasting.

Optional: toasted almonds slices/pieces before serving. Great with couscous.