Chickpea and Artichoke Tagine
By Recipe developed for Fagor, by America’s TEST KITCHEN
Chickpea and Artichoke Tagine
By Recipe developed for Fagor, by America’s TEST KITCHEN
Yield/Serves:
Makes 4 to 6 servings
- 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, plus extra for serving
- 1 onion, halved and sliced thin
- 4 2-inch strips lemon zest
- 6 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 tablespoon paprika
- ½ teaspoon ground cumin
- ¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper
- 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 3 cups vegetable broth
- 1 pound carrots, peeled and sliced ½ inch thick
- 1 (15-ounce) can diced tomatoes
- 8 ounces (1-¼ cups) dried chickpeas, picked over, rinsed and salt-soaked
- 9 ounces frozen artichoke hearts, thawed and patted dry
- ½ cup pitted Kalamata olives, halved
- ½ cup minced fresh cilantro
- Salt and pepper
This Moroccan-style vegetarian stew gets complex flavor from a blend of warm spices, onions, garlic and lemon zest. Turning to the pressure cooker meant we could enjoy the flavor and texture of dried chickpeas rather than canned. Chopped Kalamata olives rounded out the Mediterranean profile, fresh cilantro lent brightness and a drizzle of olive oil gave it the right, rich finish.
Build the flavor: Heat 1 tablespoon oil in pressure-cooker pot over medium heat until shimmering. Add onion and cook until softened, about 5-minutes. Sir in lemon zest, garlic, paprika, cumin, cinnamon and cayenne and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Stir in flour and cook for 1 minute. Whisk in broth, scraping up any browned bits and smoothing out any lumps. Stir in carrots, tomatoes and chickpeas.
Cook on high pressure for 25 minutes: Lock pressure-cooker lid in place and bring to high pressure over medium-high heat. As soon as pot reaches high pressure, reduce heat to medium-low and cook for 25 minutes, adjusting heat as needed to maintain high pressure.
Quick release pressure: Remove pot from heat. Quick release pressure, then carefully remove lid, allowing steam to escape away from you.
Before serving: Heat remaining 1 tablespoon oil in 12-inch skillet over medium heat until shimmering. Add artichokes and cook until golden brown, 5 to 7 minutes. Remove lemon zest from stew. Stir in artichokes, olives and cilantro and season with salt and pepper to taste. Drizzle individual portions with oil before serving.
Tip:
Making Chickpea Tagine in a Pressure Cooker:
Soaking chickpeas in salt water the day before cooking them ensures they cook through evenly and makes them less likely to burst open. Soaking also gives their skins a softer texture.
Before adding the soaked beans to the pot, we build flavor by sautéing onion, garlic, a few spices and lemon zest. Use a vegetable peeler to remove the zest from the lemon in strips, avoiding the bitter white pith underneath. The zest perfumes the dish and can be easily removed before serving.
Since artichokes are delicate, we stir them in after cooking the chickpeas under pressure. To help bring out their flavor, we brown them first. Frozen artichokes brown more easily than canned because they are less waterlogged.
Troubleshooting:
Can I substitute water or another broth for the vegetable broth?: To keep things vegetarian, substitute 3 cups water for the broth and add 2 teaspoons tomato paste and 2 teaspoons soy sauce to the pot with water. If you’re not a vegetarian, you can substitute 3 cups low-sodium chicken broth.
Do I need to alter the recipe for a 6-quart electric pressure cooker?: Yes, quick release the pressure immediately after the pressurized cooking time; do not let the cooker switch to the warm setting.
Alternate recipe:
Chickpea Tagine wtih Dried Apricots and Honey
Omit artichokes and substitute ½ cup pitted and halved green olives for kalamata olives. Add 1 cup dried chopped apricots and 2 tablespoons honey with olives.
- Total time: About 1 hour, plus bean soaking time; 25 minutes under pressure
- Pressure level: High
- Release: Quick
Build the flavor: Heat 1 tablespoon oil in pressure-cooker pot over medium heat until shimmering. Add onion and cook until softened, about 5-minutes. Sir in lemon zest, garlic, paprika, cumin, cinnamon and cayenne and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Stir in flour and cook for 1 minute. Whisk in broth, scraping up any browned bits and smoothing out any lumps. Stir in carrots, tomatoes and chickpeas.
Cook on high pressure for 25 minutes: Lock pressure-cooker lid in place and bring to high pressure over medium-high heat. As soon as pot reaches high pressure, reduce heat to medium-low and cook for 25 minutes, adjusting heat as needed to maintain high pressure.
Quick release pressure: Remove pot from heat. Quick release pressure, then carefully remove lid, allowing steam to escape away from you.
Before serving: Heat remaining 1 tablespoon oil in 12-inch skillet over medium heat until shimmering. Add artichokes and cook until golden brown, 5 to 7 minutes. Remove lemon zest from stew. Stir in artichokes, olives and cilantro and season with salt and pepper to taste. Drizzle individual portions with oil before serving.
Tip:
Making Chickpea Tagine in a Pressure Cooker:
Soaking chickpeas in salt water the day before cooking them ensures they cook through evenly and makes them less likely to burst open. Soaking also gives their skins a softer texture.
Before adding the soaked beans to the pot, we build flavor by sautéing onion, garlic, a few spices and lemon zest. Use a vegetable peeler to remove the zest from the lemon in strips, avoiding the bitter white pith underneath. The zest perfumes the dish and can be easily removed before serving.
Since artichokes are delicate, we stir them in after cooking the chickpeas under pressure. To help bring out their flavor, we brown them first. Frozen artichokes brown more easily than canned because they are less waterlogged.
Troubleshooting:
Can I substitute water or another broth for the vegetable broth?: To keep things vegetarian, substitute 3 cups water for the broth and add 2 teaspoons tomato paste and 2 teaspoons soy sauce to the pot with water. If you’re not a vegetarian, you can substitute 3 cups low-sodium chicken broth.
Do I need to alter the recipe for a 6-quart electric pressure cooker?: Yes, quick release the pressure immediately after the pressurized cooking time; do not let the cooker switch to the warm setting.
Alternate recipe:
Chickpea Tagine wtih Dried Apricots and Honey
Omit artichokes and substitute ½ cup pitted and halved green olives for kalamata olives. Add 1 cup dried chopped apricots and 2 tablespoons honey with olives.