Moroccan Stew 2 ways

Moroccan food ... mmmm ... this Moroccan stew 2 ways has so many things I love. Spices I associate with curries and others that are mysteriously like you'd find in pie. (This is a signature of Middle Eastern cuisine!) Garbanzos and vegetables. Often, a fun surprise flavor kick, in this case raisins. And it's hearty, filling and colorful.

In a meal like this Moroccan stew 2 ways, I'm having my chutney and my curry in the same bite. And it's hearty enough to serve with rice -- or not. Even the ingredients are spectacular!

Two ways?

Two-ways recipes are for those meals where you need delicious food for both your carnivores and vegans or vegetarians. This recipe as shared with me is vegan. One batch is finished by adding tender pulled chicken and the other gets extra garbanzo beans.

Both are deliciously flavorful!

Changes to the recipe

First, I reduced the oil to half. I love cooking with olive oil yet am interested in using less when I can. But could I go oil-free?

I was told once by an excellent Sri Lankan cook that the reason you cook the onions, garlic and usually spices before adding any water is to flavor the oil. The oil then flavors the rest of the dish.

By sautéing in my Lodge Dutch oven I need less oil for cooking the carrots, onions and garlic, which I always do first. As long as you heat gently, they shouldn't burn. And sometimes I will add a little water (water-sauté) after the initial cooking.

Second, I omitted the eggplant, not sure if my taste-testers like it. (I like it -- that's a recipe for another day).

Third, I added thickener in the form of arrowroot flour. The arrowroot helps the sauce hold its own whether or not the dishes were served with rice. We often aim for grain-free meals.

Fourth, I added pulled chicken to part of the stew just a few minutes before serving.

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Recipe inspiration

I'd like to thank my friend Rhoda for sharing the inspiration for this recipe with me. It's adapted from the recipe for Moroccan Stew from The Vegetarian Gourmet's Easy International Recipes.

If you have a chance to make this recipe, please leave me a comment so that I know how it went!

Beth

related dishes on A Meal in Mind

Spiced Beef-Lentil Stew

Instant Pot Beef Coconut Milk Curry

Roasted Butternut Squash Curry Chicken Soup

Slow Cooker Chicken Curry with Sweet Potatoes

Moroccan Roasted Carrot Hummus

10 Gluten-Free Chickpea Recipes

kitchen items used in this recipe

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Moroccan Stew 2 Ways

Moroccan food ... mmmm ... this Moroccan stew 2 ways has so many things I love. Spices I associate with curries and others that are mysteriously like you'd find in pie. Garbanzos and vegetables. Often, a fun surprise flavor kick, in this case raisins. And it's hearty, filling and colorful.

Course Main Dish

Cuisine Mediterranean, Moroccan

Keyword chicken, curry spices, dairy-free, garbanzos, Gluten-free, grain-free, mediterranean, moroccan stew, vegan

Prep Time 20 minutes minutes

Cook Time 45 minutes minutes

Servings 6 servings

Author Beth of A Meal In Mind

Ingredients

• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 cup carrots sliced in thin (¼") wedges while rotating the carrot
• 2 cups onion chopped
• 2-3 large cloves garlic chopped
• 1 large green bell pepper cut into ¼" strips
• ½ yellow bell pepper also cut into strips, optional
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin
• ½ teaspoon each ground allspice ginger, turmeric, sea salt
• ¼ teaspoon each cayenne pepper and ground cinnamon
• ¾ cup water
• 3 large ripe tomatoes chopped (3 cups ) or 2 14-ounce cans of diced tomatoes
• ½ cup raisins or currants
• 2 ½ or more cups cooked chickpeas or 2 cans, drained see note
• 2 tablespoons arrowroot flour optional
• 2 cups plain cooked pulled chicken

Instructions

• Heat oil in Dutch oven or large saucepan over medium heat.
• Add carrots and cook gently until the oil turns slightly golden, about 8 minutes.
• Stir in onions and cook for an additional 3 minutes until slightly softened.
• Add garlic and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute more.
• Add bell peppers, spices and ¼ cup water. Cook, stirring occasionally, 5 minutes.
• Add all remaining ingredients except chicken.
• Cover and simmer on medium heat for 30 minutes, stirring frequently during cooking. Test for doneness, especially at high altitude where you may need to cook the stew longer.
• A few minutes before serving, separate the stew into two containers and stir the chicken into one portion.
• Serve the Moroccan Stew 2 ways on its own, or over rice or couscous.

Notes

I soak and cook my chickpeas in the Instant Pot since it's so easy and I can make exactly the amount I want. Start with 1 ¼ cup dry garbanzos. Soak for at least an hour, preferably overnight. Rinse, place in Instant Pot with water to cover. Pressure-cook on manual or on bean setting for 30 minutes, allow pressure to reduce slowly. Two cans of garbanzos will give more than 2 ½  cups, depending on the brand, but they are so wonderful in this dish you won't be sorry there are more.

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