A round and soothing dish, perfectly flavoured by the sweetness of the dates & smokiness of the dried plums and complemented with a dash of cinnamon.
This recipe is inspired by Ottolenghi’s carrot and dates traybake. I made a few alterations to suit my cravings and ended up with an incredibly delicious meal that will go straight up into my recipe notebook, and here too.
Cooked in a tomato base, it is a bit sweet, a bit tangy, with fleshy and juicy bites of dried fruits and tender (but firm) cinnamon carrots.
Everything blends perfectly. In an effort to keep things simple, I used cooked chickpeas.
This recipe does not use any garlic or onions but feel free to add them to suit your preferences. It is naturally gluten free, and if you want to make it vegan, just skip the feta at the end - honestly it does not need it (taste and texture wise).
Enjoy it straight from the pot with toasted baguette or sourdough bread.
Cheers to a great, zingy hot dish in the middle of the summer! 😅
Braised carrots and chickpeas with juicy dried fruits and cinnamon
Gluten free, Vegan option included
Makes 2 portions
Total time: 40 minutes
Ingredients:
2 tsp olive oil
3 medium carrots, peeled and roughly chopped
2 cups cooked chickpeas
5-7 chopped dried plums
5-7 tbsp chopped dates
1 tsp dried sea buckthorn berries
3-4 tbsp quinoa
3/4 cup crushed tomatoes
1 bay leaf
3/4 cup water
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
1/8 tsp hot chilli flakes
sea salt & black pepper to taste
1 tbsp finely chopped fresh parsley
*2-4 tbsp feta cheese
Instructions:
Heat 2 tsp olive oil in a pan and add the carrots. Add a pinch of salt and cook on medium heat until half done, about 5-7 minutes.
Add the chickpeas, dried fruits, quinoa and tomatoes.
Add 1 bay leaf and water. Stir and let cook on high heat until it starts boiling.
Reduce the heat and simmer on low to medium until the quinoa and carrots are cooked, around 25 minutes.
Add the cinnamon, chilli flakes, black pepper and more salt if needed.
Stir and top with parsley and crumbled feta cheese.
Skip the feta for a vegan option of the dish. Enjoy with toasted baguette or sourdough bread.
