Tagine of Spiced Root Vegetables

A tagine straight from oven to table looks good, but a plain-Jane casserole dish does just as good a job of the cooking.

Ingredients

Spicy base:

• 2 Tbsp light olive oil
• 1 medium onion, cut into large dice
• 2 tsp each smoked paprika, ground cumin, ground coriander
• 1 tsp each chilli powder, ground white pepper

Vegetables:

• 2 medium sized carrots
• 2 medium sized parsnips
• 1 medium kumara
• 6 medium sized waxy potatoes such as desiree or van rosa
• About 700ml of vegetable stock or water
• 2 Tbsp lemon juice
• Salt to taste

Garnish:

• lemon zest
• 2 Tbsp coriander leaves chopped

Method

Heat oil in tagine base or casserole dish, add diced onions and all the spices and stir to combine.

Reduce heat and cook gently until onions soften for about 6 minutes.

Peel the vegetables and cut into roughly same sized chunks - about 4cm. Add to the spice mixture and stir and cook for a few minutes until the vegetables are coated. Add stock or water and salt and bring to the boil.

Reduce heat, add lemon juice and simmer for 40 - 50 minutes or until every vegetable is tender. There should be enough thickened liquid to provide a sauce. Taste and add more salt and pepper, and garnish.

Serve with rice or grain as a side vegetable with grilled or roast lamb or poached chicken breasts or whatever suits the wine about to be poured.

Suggested wines to complement this recipe

Syrah
Kennedy Point 2007

Riesling
Hunters 2008