If you’re looking to try something different and add a little spice into your kitchen in honour of National Vegetarian Week, then we’ve got a delicious recipe extract from Kay Plunkett-Hogge’s new cookbook HEAT  for you to try. Traditionally, tagines are cooked in their namesake domed clay dishes, set upon open fires, but this one is a quick dish to do at home with just a casserole or heavy saucepan.

This recipe features, among other spices, ras el hanout, a North African spice mix containing ginger, paprika, cardamom and rose petals, along with other aromatics, which is easy to find in most supermarkets and online.

This dish is all about the fragrance with just the right measure of heat, so get your pots & pans at the ready and impress your friends this week with a vegetarian feast!

Golden Vegetable Tagine

SERVES 4–6

2 tbsp olive oil

1 onion, peeled and chopped

2 garlic cloves, peeled and choppe

1 large cinnamon stick, broken in two

1 tsp ground cumin

1 tsp cayenne pepper

1 tsp paprika

1 tbsp lightly crushed cardamom pods

1 tsp lightly crushed coriander seeds

1 tbsp ras el hanout

500ml (18fl oz) vegetable stock

800g (1lb 12oz) peeled butternut squash cubes, about 2cm (1¾in) in size (from 1 medium squash, about 1kg (2¼lb) before prep)

large pinch of saffron

400g tin of chopped tomatoes

2 tbsp clear honey, plus extra to drizzle

150g (5½oz) dried apricots

400g tin of chickpeas

1 tbsp chopped flat-leaf parsley

1 tbsp chopped fresh coriander

zest of ½ lemon

sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

1. If you want to add some fire, serve it with a the Simple Harissa.
2. Heat the oil in a large casserole or heavy-based saucepan over a medium heat.
3. Throw in the onion and cook until softened, for about 5–8 minutes.
4. Stir in the garlic and all the dry spices, then add the stock, diced squash, saffron and tinned tomatoes.
5. Bring to the boil. Add the honey and apricots, and bring back to the boil.
6. Then add the chickpeas, season with salt and pepper, and simmer, uncovered, for 15–20 minutes, until the squash is cooked through.
7. Taste and adjust the seasoning, if necessary – the tagine should be sweet, mildly spicy and fragrant.
8. Finally, stir in the parsley, coriander and lemon zest, and finish with a good drizzle of honey. Serve with couscous and harissa, if you like.

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