Taste of Morocco

  • Prep Time: 10 mins
  • Total Time: 25 mins
  • Servings: 4

    • About This Recipe

    “Very exotic, but amazingly simple. A great veggie/vegan main course or a perfect side dish.”

    Ingredients

  • 1zucchini, cubed
  • 1sweet potato, cubed
  • 1clovegarlic, minced or pressed
  • 1tablespoonoil
  • 1/4 cupwater
  • 1 (15ounce) cans chickpeas
  • 1teaspoonground cumin
  • 1/2 teaspoonallspice
  • 1/2 teaspoonground ginger
  • 1/2 teaspoonturmeric
  • 1/2 teaspoonpaprika
  • 1/4 teaspoonsalt
  • 1/4 teaspooncayenne
  • 1/4 teaspooncinnamon
  • 1red bell pepper, diced
  • 1yellow bell pepper, diced
  • 2cupsuncooked couscous
  • 1/2 cupraisins

    • Directions

  • Sautè the zucchini, sweet potato, and garlic in the oil until partially cooked, about 5 minutes.
  • Use water as necessary to keep the vegetables from sticking.
  • Drain and rinse the chick peas.
  • Add the spices, chick peas, and peppers to the pan.
  • Cover and cook for about 5 minutes.
  • Meanwhile, place the couscous and raisins in another saucepan.
  • Add enough water so that the couscous is covered by about 1/2 inch.
  • Bring the mixture to a boil, then cover tightly, remove from the heat, and let set at least 10 minutes.
  • Remove the cover from the pepper/chick pea mixture, stir, and cook a few minutes longer to heat thoroughly and thicken.
  • Serve the bean-pepper stew over the couscous.

    • Reviews

  • “I served this as a main course at my vegan dinner party for 12.Everyone loved it, even the men! (And even me, who doesnt like sweet potatoes!) It gives off a wonderful aroma of spices that fill the house while it is cooking. One of my guests has traveled a lot with the Peace Corps, and she commented that this was exactly like a homemade dish she was served very often while she was overseas. Just be careful not to burn the couscous when updating the recipe to 12 — use a BIG pot!:)”

  • “Thanks for this wonderful vegetarian recipe. I’m not a vegetarian myself, but quite a few people I attend church with are.Every other Sunday, we have a potluck dinner after service.I just recently started visiting this church and wanted my first potluck contribution to be delicious and kind to the palettes of my new friends.Let’s just say that your recipe has helped me achieve quite a bit of popularity.It was so highly praised that one of my new friends insisted that I bring it as a potluck dish everytime.Taste of Morocco may become my signature potluck dish.Thanks again.Oh yea, before I forget.I second the comment about the couscous.I was cooking for about 15 people and almost burnt my couscous twice.After my second attempt at making the couscous, I threw in more raisins and some other dried fruits.The sweetness of the fruits disguised the “smokey” flavor very nicely.I think next time I make the stew at home that I might add some grilled chicken.”

  • “I made this with a group of fourth graders.It was fun to make and the kids ate every bit up!If it can please this picky group, it is great for everyone.It is really pretty served on a platter.”

  • “This was excellent and SO easy.I always shudder a bit when I have a veggie over for dinner, but this was perfect.Remarkably folks couldn’t put their finger on the sweet potatoes, but they make the dish.My only regret is that I tried to have the couscous made in advance and just reheat and fluff at serving time (the rest held up just fine this way).I think I could have pulled it off if I had some vegetable broth, but I thought the couscous suffered a bit and was dry.Sort of dumb of me to do this because couscous is so quick and easy to cook, but my guests were late so I just got ahead of myself.Will make again.”

  • “Very good dish with an awesome combination of flavours (and scents!)! Once you’ve chopped the veggies, it’s also a breeze to make! I used only 1 ts of oil for the cooking and it worked fine – I didn’t even need to add any water. I cooked the couscous Ant’s way and it turned out perfect! Definitely add the raisins: I’m not *that* fond of raisins myself but they go really well with the other flavours of this dish. Next time I’ll be a bit heavy-handed with the spices: DH and I like it very spicy and this was more of the subtler sort! 🙂 “

  • “I made this tonight, and will make sure to cute the vegetables before I cook so that I can add them in quickly.That way, the sweet potato might hold together better, rather than cooking down to mush.I made the couscous by boiling the water in a kettle and then pouring it over the couscous and raisins, leaving them to sit for 10 minutes.Still really good and will make again.”

  • “I followed the recipe as written, and I’m sorry, we didn’t love it. It was okay, but I probably won’t make it again… except maybe for my 1.5 yr old — she loved it!”

  • “Well….I didn’t love this the way I made it (of course I didn’t make it as prescribed, so there you go!). The only thing I changed really is that I used rice instead of couscous. I added the raisins to the chickpea mixture instead of the rice. I would eat it again for sure, but I don’t know that I would make it again.”

  • “5 stars! We all loved this including our vegetarian house guest. My husband had 3 helpings even though he complained about eating vegetarian before the meal. The raisins are a perfect addition to the couscous.”

  • “Great recipe!Has a nice flavour, just the right ammount of spice.The raisins in the couscous is a fabulous addition.I used whole wheat couscous, and left out the zucchini because I didn’t have any in the house and I think I liked it better that way.I will definately make this again!Thanks for posting Mirj.”

  • “This was nice — served as a side dish to Recipe#15580 .I used whole wheat couscous, and had to substitute yellow squash for the zucchini.I also used a bit of cooking spray instead of the tablespoon of oil.The raisins in the couscous were a nice touch.Thanks for sharing.”

  • “Really love this recipe.Very tasty and reallly healthy.Also freezes well.Have made it several times, and will def make it again.Thanks!”

  • “Wonderful dish. Thank you so much for sharing.”

  • “This has become one of my favorite dishes. I top it with yogurt and serve it with warm pita bread, and it is sooo good. Thanks Mirj!”

  • “Delicious!Served it over rice instead of couscous, otherwise I didn’t change anything.Thanks so much.”

  • “This was a great recipe! I was a little scared halfway through, but it turned out wonderful. I served it over Near East brand garlic and olive oil cous cous. Don’t leave out the raisins, they make all the difference. I also served Recipe #263342 with it (Marinated Grilled Chicken, Wedding Chicken). Thanks so much for sharing, I will definetely make this again!”

  • “Fantastic what a great vege dish!! I ate mine over steamed rice served along side a grilled chicken breast. I added about 3/4 cup of water to make it a little “juicy” but otherwise made as directed. A perfect blend of flavours, thanks for sharing.”

  • “Made it for dinner this Friday night and it was a big hit.Not too exotic at all, and the seasonings were just right. (Ok, I admit that I skipped the cinnamon because one of my kids has a fit if he tastes cinnamon in anything but dessert, but for me, changing only one ingredient is as close to full compliance as I can get.) It was very easy to make, and went with all sorts of other dishes that I served.I’ll need to make this one again.Thanks, Mirj!”

  • “I have not tried this recipe, but I cook cous cous all the time, and here’s the best way: Bring 3 cups of water, 2 Tsp oil and 1 tsp salt to a full boil. Add 2 cups cous cous, cover pot and turn off the heat. Let stand for at least 10 mins. “

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