Vegan Tagine from Morocco

Ingredients

• 1 ½ cups water, or as needed
• 1 cup uncooked green lentils
• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 onion, chopped
• 4 cloves garlic, finely chopped
• 1 tablespoon ground turmeric
• 1 tablespoon ground coriander
• 1 teaspoon cumin seeds, finely ground
• salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
• 3 potatoes, peeled and cubed
• 1 (14 ounce) can crushed tomatoes
• 2 large carrots, peeled and sliced
• 4 cups vegetable broth

Step 1

Put the lentils and water in a saucepan and bring it to a boil. Once it’s boiling, lower the heat to medium-low, cover the pot, and let it simmer until the lentils are soft and the water has mostly disappeared—this should take about 20 minutes.

Step 2

While the lentils are cooking, heat some oil in a skillet or a tagine over medium-high heat. Toss in the onions and cook them until they’re nicely browned and soft, which usually takes around 5 minutes. Then add the garlic along with the turmeric, coriander, cumin, salt, and pepper. Stir everything together and let the spices toast for about 3 minutes until you can smell all those wonderful aromas.

Step 3

Add the cooked lentils back into the pan along with the potatoes, crushed tomatoes, sweet potatoes, and carrots. Pour in the vegetable broth, bring it all to a gentle simmer, and cook uncovered until the vegetables are tender—this usually takes around 40 minutes. Give it a stir every now and then to keep everything from sticking and to help the flavors meld together.