serves 8 people
6 carrots, peeled and cut into 2cm chunks
2 sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into 2cm chunks
1 butternut squash, peeled and cut into 2cm chunks
3 onions, peeled and cut into 1/8 ths
2 cinnamon sticks
4 star anise
3 bay leaves
5 tbsp olive oil
1½ tsp salt
1 tsp ground ginger
1 tsp ground turmeric
1 tsp paprika
1 tsp chilli flakes
100g dried apricots, roughly chopped
400g chickpeas (tinned)
450ml water
harissa
25g preserved lemon, finely chopped
350g couscous
260ml vegetable stock
Preheat the oven to 190C.
Put the oil and onions in a large casserole and gently fry for 5 minutes then add the carrots, sweet potatoes and squash. Next add the cinnamon, star anise, bay leaves, one teaspoon of salt and all the spices, and mix. Put on the lid and put in the oven for 50 minutes, by which time the vegetables should have softened but retained their bite. Add the apricots, chickpeas, water, harissa and lemon, then return to the oven for 10 minutes, until hot.
Around 15 minutes before the vegetables will be ready, put the couscous in a heatproof bowl with a tablespoon of olive oil, half a teaspoon of salt. Boil the stock, pour over the couscous and cover with clingfilm. Leave for 10 minutes then fluff up with a fork.
