This highly spiced dish, reminiscent of traditional North African dishes, is served on a fluffy bed of couscous, granules made from wheat.
ingredients
serves 4
1 small cauliflower, trimmed and divided into florets
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 medium onion, peeled and chopped
3 cloves garlic, peeled and crushed
1 level teaspoon each turmeric, ground ginger, paprika
1/2 level teaspoon chilli powder
1 3/4 lb tinned chopped tomatoes
1 red pepper, de-seeded and thickly sliced
1 carrot, peeled and thinly sliced
3/8 cup stoned prunes, halved
1/4 pint vegetable stock
1 cinnamon stick
1 cup + 2 tablespoons green beans, strings removed, sliced
1 1/2 cups cooked chickpeas (garbanzo beans)
8 ounce couscous
1 pint boiling water
1/8 level teaspoon salt
Freshly ground black pepper
method
1. Blanch the cauliflower in boiling unsalted water for 2 minutes, drain and set aside.
2. Heat the oil in a large, heavy-based skillet and cook the onion and garlic in it over a moderate heat for 5 minutes, until the onion colours. Add the turmeric, ginger, paprika and chilli powder, and fry for 30 seconds more.
3. Stir in the tomatoes, red pepper, carrot, prunes and stock, and put in the cinnamon stick. Cover and cook for 15 minutes. Mix in the cauliflower, beans and chickpeas, and cook for a further 5 minutes.
4. Meanwhile, put the couscous into a bowl with the boiling water. Stir, cover the bowl and leave to stand for about 15 minutes, or until the water has been absorbed. Season the couscous with the salt and black pepper and fluff it up with a fork.
5. Pile the couscous onto a warmed serving dish. Remove the cinnamon stick from the stew and spoon the stew over the couscous.
You can garnish the stew with mint sprigs or pale celery leaves, and serve warm rolls with it.
