A fruity, feisty and flavoursome bean stew, this dish is a firm favourite among vegans and devout meat-eaters alike! If you use a Baharat spice blend that contains allspice berries, this dish will have a distinctly Moroccan feel.
Ingredients:
200 g red split lentils
100 g quinoa
1 teaspoon Baharat (or similar North African) spice blend
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 onions, chopped
6 garlic cloves, crushed
2 x 400 g cans chopped tomatoes
600 ml vegetable stock
3 tablespoons African-style hot chilli or pepper sauce
2 fresh bay leaves
a generous sprig of fresh thyme
75 g chopped dried apricots
75 g sultanas
hot red chillies, chopped –as many as you like!
2 x 400 g cans mixed beans, drained
2 ripe red peppers, deseeded and cut into strips
400 g can chickpeas, drained
sea salt and freshly ground
black pepper
couscous, brown rice or fresh
bread, to serve
a stovetop casserole
dish with lid
Method:
Thoroughly rinse the lentils and quinoa and put in a saucepan of boiling unsalted water.
Reduce the heat to a gentle simmer and add the Baharat spice blend. Cook, uncovered, for 20 minutes, or until thick. Drain well.
Heat the oil in the stovetop casserole dish and gently fry the onions and garlic until softened but not brown. Add the chopped tomatoes and the cooked lentils and quinoa.
Stir well, add the vegetable stock and then bring back to a gentle simmer.
Add the African-style hot sauce, bay leaves, thyme, apricots, sultanas, chillies, mixed beans,
peppers and chickpeas. Stir well. Bring to the boil, then reduce the heat to a very gentle simmer and cook, covered, for at least 1 hour. Stir occasionally.
Add more stock if it looks too dry, but allow the sauce to thicken. Season with salt and pepper at the end of cooking.
Serve with couscous, brown rice or fresh bread.
This recipe is from The Really Hungry Vegan Cookbook. To get more great blog posts like this one - direct to your inbox – be sure to sign up to our mailing list here.