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Moroccan Vegetable Pot and Couscous with Pine Nuts and Dill

by . Featured in AT MY TABLE
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Introduction

This warmly-spiced vegetable stew, sweet with parsnips and carrots and tangy with preserved lemons and dried apricots is the perfect winter warmer, and just right to break up the seasonal meat feast. And it smells so wonderfully festive as it cooks.

I have specified wholemeal — sometimes sold as wholegrain — couscous as an accompaniment, as I so much prefer it: it is nuttier than regular couscous but still fine and light. Were you to want to sprinkle some pomegranate seeds over, along with the dill and pine nuts, you’d get no argument from me.

For US cup measures, use the toggle at the top of the ingredients list.

This warmly-spiced vegetable stew, sweet with parsnips and carrots and tangy with preserved lemons and dried apricots is the perfect winter warmer, and just right to break up the seasonal meat feast. And it smells so wonderfully festive as it cooks.

I have specified wholemeal — sometimes sold as wholegrain — couscous as an accompaniment, as I so much prefer it: it is nuttier than regular couscous but still fine and light. Were you to want to sprinkle some pomegranate seeds over, along with the dill and pine nuts, you’d get no argument from me.

For US cup measures, use the toggle at the top of the ingredients list.

As featured in

  • Book cover of At My Table by Nigella Lawson
    Photo by David Ellis
    AT MY TABLE

    2017

Image of Nigella's Moroccan Vegetable Pot with Couscous
Photo by Jonathan Lovekin

As featured in

  • Book cover of At My Table by Nigella Lawson
    Photo by David Ellis
    AT MY TABLE

    2017

Ingredients

Serves: 4-6

Metric Cups

For the Moroccan Vegetable Pot

  • 1 x 15ml tablespoon regular olive oil
  • 1 medium leek (trimmed and cut into approx 1cm / 1/4 inch slices)
  • 1 teaspoon cumin seeds
  • 1 teaspoon ground ginger
  • 1 large cinnamon stick (or 2 small)
  • 2 medium-large carrots (peeled and cut into chunky batons)
  • 2 medium-large parsnips (peeled and cut into large bite-sized chunks)
  • 1 medium-large aubergine (cut into large bite-sized chunks)
  • 250 grams potatoes (peeled and cut into bite-sized chunks)
  • 4 cloves garlic (bruised and slightly splintered with the flat side of a wide-bladed knife, then slipped out of their skins)
  • 500 grams drained chickpeas (from 1 x 700g / 25oz jar or 2 x 16oz tins)
  • 75 grams small pitted green olives
  • 75 grams soft dried apricots (halved)
  • 75 grams preserved lemons (finely chopped)
  • 1 fat pinch of saffron strands
  • 2 teaspoons Maldon sea salt flakes

To serve

  • fresh coriander

For the Couscous with Pine Nuts and Dill

  • 350 grams wholemeal couscous
  • 1½ teaspoons vegetable bouillon powder
  • 1½ teaspoons dried dill
  • 1 teaspoon regular olive oil
  • 75 grams pinenuts (toasted)
  • 2 x 15ml tablespoons roughly chopped fresh dill plus a few intact fronds
  • Maldon sea salt flakes

For the Moroccan Vegetable Pot

  • 1 tablespoon regular olive oil
  • 1 medium leek (trimmed and cut into approx 1cm / 1/4 inch slices)
  • 1 teaspoon cumin seeds
  • 1 teaspoon ground ginger
  • 1 large cinnamon stick (or 2 small)
  • 2 medium-large carrots (peeled and cut into chunky batons)
  • 2 medium-large parsnips (peeled and cut into large bite-sized chunks)
  • 1 medium-large eggplant (cut into large bite-sized chunks)
  • 1 large potato (peeled and cut into bite-sized chunks)
  • 4 cloves garlic (bruised and slightly splintered with the flat side of a wide-bladed knife, then slipped out of their skins)
  • 3 cups drained garbanzo beans (from 1 x 700g / 25oz jar or 2 x 16oz tins)
  • ½ cup small pitted green olives
  • ⅔ cup soft dried apricots (halved)
  • 3 small preserved lemons (finely chopped)
  • 1 fat pinch of saffron strands
  • 2 teaspoons kosher salt

To serve

  • cilantro

For the Couscous with Pine Nuts and Dill

  • 2 cups whole wheat couscous
  • 1½ teaspoons vegetable bouillon powder
  • 1½ teaspoons dried dill
  • 1 teaspoon regular olive oil
  • ½ cup pinenuts (toasted)
  • 2 tablespoons roughly chopped fresh dill plus a few intact fronds
  • kosher salt

Method

To make the Moroccan Vegetable Pot:

  1. Warm the oil in a large-ish, heavy-based casserole that has a tight-fitting lid and add the sliced leek, cumin seeds, ground ginger and cinnamon stick (or sticks) and cook, stirring, for a minute or so.
  2. Add the chopped carrots, parsnips, aubergines and potatoes along with the garlic, chickpeas, olives, apricots and preserved lemons. Pour in approx. 1 litre/4 cups of cold water, sprinkle in the saffron and salt, give the pot a good stir and let it all come to the boil, before putting on the lid, turning the heat down and simmering for 35-45 minutes, or until the vegetables are tender, adding a little more water should the liquid have evaporated too much.
  3. Let your pan or casserole stand off the heat for 10-15 minutes before serving, sprinkled with chopped coriander. During which time you could be making the couscous.

To make the Couscous with Pine Nuts and Dill:

  1. Put the couscous into a fairly wide and shallow pan or dish, add the stock powder and dried dill and then 550ml/2 ⅓ cups of freshly boiled water and the oil, giving everything a good stir. Immediately clamp on a tight-fitting lid or cover with a plate and leave for 15 minutes.
  2. Uncover, and use a fork to break up the couscous until fluffed up into free-flowing grains, and then fork through about three-quarters of the toasted pine nuts and 1 tablespoon of fresh dill.
  3. Check to see if you want to add any salt, then turn into a warmed serving dish and sprinkle with the remaining pine nuts and dill.

To make the Moroccan Vegetable Pot:

  1. Warm the oil in a large-ish, heavy-based casserole that has a tight-fitting lid and add the sliced leek, cumin seeds, ground ginger and cinnamon stick (or sticks) and cook, stirring, for a minute or so.
  2. Add the chopped carrots, parsnips, eggplants and potatoes along with the garlic, garbanzo beans, olives, apricots and preserved lemons. Pour in approx. 1 litre/4 cups of cold water, sprinkle in the saffron and salt, give the pot a good stir and let it all come to the boil, before putting on the lid, turning the heat down and simmering for 35-45 minutes, or until the vegetables are tender, adding a little more water should the liquid have evaporated too much.
  3. Let your pan or casserole stand off the heat for 10-15 minutes before serving, sprinkled with chopped coriander. During which time you could be making the couscous.

To make the Couscous with Pine Nuts and Dill:

  1. Put the couscous into a fairly wide and shallow pan or dish, add the stock powder and dried dill and then 550ml/2 ⅓ cups of freshly boiled water and the oil, giving everything a good stir. Immediately clamp on a tight-fitting lid or cover with a plate and leave for 15 minutes.
  2. Uncover, and use a fork to break up the couscous until fluffed up into free-flowing grains, and then fork through about three-quarters of the toasted pine nuts and 1 tablespoon of fresh dill.
  3. Check to see if you want to add any salt, then turn into a warmed serving dish and sprinkle with the remaining pine nuts and dill.

Additional Information

MAKE AHEAD/STORE:
Refrigerate the Moroccan Vegetable Pot, within 2 hours of cooking, in an airtight container for up to 2 days. Reheat in a saucepan until piping hot, adding a splash of water, if necessary. Reheat only once. Leftover Couscous can be refrigerated in an airtight container for up to 3 days. Eat cold.

FREEZE:
Leftovers of the Moroccan Vegetable Pot can be frozen in airtight containers for up to 3 months. Defrost overnight in the fridge and reheat as above.

MAKE AHEAD/STORE:
Refrigerate the Moroccan Vegetable Pot, within 2 hours of cooking, in an airtight container for up to 2 days. Reheat in a saucepan until piping hot, adding a splash of water, if necessary. Reheat only once. Leftover Couscous can be refrigerated in an airtight container for up to 3 days. Eat cold.

FREEZE:
Leftovers of the Moroccan Vegetable Pot can be frozen in airtight containers for up to 3 months. Defrost overnight in the fridge and reheat as above.

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What 6 Others have said

  • I turned the leftover veg into soup by blitzing with harissa and chicken stock. First I removed the potatoes and fried with lardons as a topping + sour cream and chives. Winner!

    Posted by eg___ on 7th October 2024

  • Just made this. Topped it with a yoghurt & tahini mixture, then bejewelled it with pomegranate seeds & the toasted pine nuts, drizzled with pomegranate molasses & sprinkled with chopped mint & coriander... Absolute yum!!

    Posted by ZippyCuisine on 9th January 2021

  • Perfect! Wouldn't change a thing. Will be making this again this week as a delicious change from the seasonal foods.

    Posted by angelarunnals on 3rd January 2021

  • This is really good. I followed the recipe exactly. Definitely will make again - just had the leftovers for lunch.

    Posted by Millster on 20th April 2020

  • Absolutely delicious. This dish punches above its weight.

    Posted by Robser on 7th January 2019

  • Very good, my family loved it.

    Posted by Ketymate on 20th December 2017
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