Recipe: Couscous with Chickpeas and Vegetables (Couscous B'Lhummus Khodra) (Moroccan)

COUSCOUS WITH CHICKPEAS AND VEGETABLES
(COUSCOUS B'LHUMMUS KHODRA)

"Here's a spicy, colorful Moroccan stew of garbanzos and root vegetables. The list of ingredients appears long but is not complicated. Use what's in season. This dish reheated well ('better'). Could use this for a party; make the day before."

1/2 cup dried chickpeas
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
2 cloves garlic, crushed
1 onion, chopped
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon paprika
1 teaspoon ground cumin
2 carrots, sliced 1/4-inch thick
4 baby turnips
4 cups sweet potato chunks
1 cup tomato juice (or less)
1 1/2 cups vegetable broth
3 sliced zucchini (courgettes)
1/4 cup dried apricots
8 button mushrooms
2 tablespoons chopped parsley
salt and freshly ground black pepper (to taste)
1 cup water
1 1/3 cups instant couscous
3 tablespoons golden raisins -- (sultanas)
chopped chives (for garnish)
yellow rose petals (optional, for garnish)

Rinse chickpeas and sort. Place in a bowl, cover with boiling water and soak for a t least 1 hour or overnight.

Drain, place in a large saucepan and cover with fresh water. Cover (lid) and bring to a boil. Cook over medium heat until tender, about 1 hour. Drain and set aside.

Heat 1 tablespoon of the oil in a large, heavy-bottomed saucepan over low-medium heat. Add the garlic, onion, cinnamon, paprika and cumin. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the onion is soft, about 3 minutes.

Add the carrots, turnips and sweet potatoes and cook, stirring continuously, for 5 minutes.

Add the tomato juice and stock and bring to a boil. Cover, reduce the heat and simmer for 15 minutes. Add the chickpeas, okra/squash, apricots, mushrooms and parsley and simmer until the vegetables are tender, about 10-12 minutes. Season to taste with the salt and pepper.

Bring the water to a boil in a large saucepan. Add the couscous and sultanas and mix well with a fork. Remove the pan from the heat and let stand for 2 minutes to allow pasta to swell. Add the remaining oil to center of the couscous, return pan to heat and cook over medium heat, stirring until heated through, about 4 minutes.

TO SERVE:
Spoon couscous around the edge of a serving dish. Garnish with the chives. Spoon chickpea and vegetable mixture in the center and sprinkle with rose petals, if using. Serve immediately.

VARIATIONS/SUBSTITUTIONS (seasonal ingredients):
- water and a low-sodium vegetable bouillon (for the vegetable broth)
- 1/2 cup V8 plus 1/2 cup water (for the tomato juice)
- 4 ounces of okra (instead of zucchini)
- rutabaga (instead of turnips)
- yellow and green summer squash (instead of 1 color)
- 1 yam and 1 russet, white potato (instead of the sweet potato)
- 16 ounces canned chickpeas; drained, rinsed (instead of the dried, cooked chickpeas)

Servings: 6
Adapted from source: World's Finest Pasta and Grains by Anne Marshall