Recently I took a stab at making the chickpea tagine, taking a shortcut with the tomato jam. Instead of making the jam separately and adding it to the tagine, I make the tomato jam as I go by sweating onions first, then cooking the tomatoes down with a hefty pour of vinegar. The chickpeas and other ingredients cook with the jam. Make sense? I’ve been serving it with roasted delicata squash — so good. Here’s a step-by-step guide for making it: Gather your ingredients. I’ve used both cooked-from-scratch chickpeas and canned. I prefer from-scratch, of course, but canned chickpeas work well here. This is the ras-el-hanout from a local Moroccan restaurant, Tara Kitchen, which I’ve written about before: Sauté an onion. Add garlic. Add ras-el-hanout. Add cilantro. Stir. Add tomatoes. Add cooked chickpeas and raisins. Add water. Simmer 30 minutes. Add some more fresh cilantro for color and freshness. Meanwhile, cut up delicata squash and roast it. Spoon into bowls and serve with plenty of good bread, of course. 5 from 7 reviews Ras el hanout, which translates to “head of the shop” or “top of the shop,” is a blend of many spices, often including turmeric, paprika, cumin, coriander, cardamom, and cinnamon, to name a few. I purchase mine from Tara Kitchen, but you can find the blend from many sources or you can make your own. I prefer cooking chickpeas from scratch, but you can use canned chickpeas here with fine results. You’ll need two 15-oz cans, drained and rinsed. If you use from scratch-cooked chickpeas, save the cooking liquid for the tagine.
