Add a little Moroccan flair to an easy-to-make vegan curry entree

A rainbow of colours provides a variety of nutrients in this flavourful vegan dish.

Chop all the vegetables except the eggplant the night before to reduce preparation time. Store vegetables in the refrigerator.

Moroccan Vegetable Curry

30 ml (2 tbsp) canola oil

375 ml (1 1/2 cups) chopped onions

4 cloves garlic, minced

30 ml (2 tbsp) curry powder

10 ml (2 tsp) ground cinnamon

5 ml (1 tsp) ground turmeric

5 ml (1 tsp) cayenne pepper

125 ml (1/2 cup) vegetable broth or water (approx)

1 eggplant, peeled and cut into 2-cm (3/4-inch) cubes (1.5 to 2 l/6 to 8 cups)

500 ml (2 cups) cubed peeled sweet potatoes (1-cm/1/2-inch cubes)

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500 ml (2 cups) chopped carrots

375 ml (1 1/2 cups) chopped yellow bell peppers

375 ml (1 1/2 cups) chopped red bell peppers

1 can (540 ml/19 oz) chickpeas, drained and rinsed

500 ml (2 cups) diced zucchini

50 ml (1/4 cup) raisins

250 ml (1 cup) unsweetened orange juice

1 pkg (300 g/10 oz) frozen chopped spinach, thawed and drained

500 ml (2 cups) couscous

500 ml (2 cups) boiling water

50 ml (1/4 cup) sliced almonds

Grated zest and juice of 1/2 lemon

In a large Dutch oven, heat oil over medium heat. Saute onions for 3 to 4 minutes or until softened. Add garlic, curry powder, cinnamon, turmeric and cayenne; saute for 1 minute or until spices are fragrant.

Add broth and deglaze pan, scraping up any brown bits. Add eggplant, sweet potatoes, carrots, yellow peppers and red peppers; saute for 5 minutes. If vegetables begin to stick to pan, add more broth.

Stir in chickpeas, zucchini, raisins and orange juice; bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low, cover and simmer for about 20 minutes or until sweet potatoes are fork-tender. Stir in spinach; cover and simmer for 5 minutes or until heated through.

Meanwhile, place couscous in a large shallow bowl. Stir in boiling water. Cover and let stand for 5 minutes or until liquid is absorbed. Fluff with a fork.

Spoon vegetable mixture over couscous and garnish with almonds, lemon zest and lemon juice.

Makes 10 servings.

Nutrition information per serving: 299 calories; 5.3 g fat; 57 g carbohydrate; 8 g fibre; 9 g protein; 202 mg sodium.

Variations:

– Replace the chickpeas with black beans or kidney beans.

– Use green bell peppers instead of red or yellow.

Source: “Cook!” Dietitians of Canada (Robert Rose Inc., 2011).