Curried Sweet Potato, Eggplant, and Quinoa Tagine

This flavorful dish is my very uncomplicated version of a complex North African vegetable tagine.

Tagines are savory Moroccan stews prepared by slow cooking in a shallow cooking dish with a conical lid, and both the cookware itself, and the stews made within them are known as tagines.

My tagine isn’t made in a tagine (or even slow-cooked, for that matter), but it is bursting with aromatic spices, colorful vegetables, and savory Moroccan flavor combinations. I think this dish tastes like it might have been simmering all day, but thanks to the pressure cooker, preparation takes under 5 minutes of actual cooking time (after the pot comes to pressure).

Loaded with healthy whole-food ingredients, this stew is deeply satisfying, yet easy enough to throw together after a long hard day.

CURRIED SWEET POTATO, EGGPLANT, AND QUINOA TAGINE

Servings: 8 to 10
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1 onion, diced
1 clove of garlic, minced
1 medium eggplant, peeled, and cubed in 1/ 2-inch dice
1 medium or 2 small sweet potatoes, peeled, and cubed in 1/ 2-inch dice
1 orange, yellow, or red bell pepper, 1/ 2-inch dice
1 cup uncooked quinoa
2 1/4 to 2 1/2 cups vegetable broth
1 14-ounce can black beans, rinsed and drained
1 teaspoon Zanzibar hot curry powder (or other curry powder)
1 1/2 teaspoons Moroccan chili powder (or other chili powder)
2 teaspoons kosher salt (generous), or to taste
1/2 teaspoon black pepper

Instructions

In a large Electric Pressure Cooker (like a Zavor Lux Multi-Cooker, my personal favorite), sauté the onion for a few minutes, using a little water to avoid sticking. Add garlic and stir for a minute (or less), and then select Cancel to stop the sauté process.

Add the eggplant, sweet potatoes, and bell pepper, quinoa, and broth. Stir in the black beans, curry powder, chili powder, salt, and pepper.

Lock the lid in place. Select “High Pressure” and set the timer for 5 minutes. After the cooking is complete, allow the pot to rest for about 10 minutes, and then use the quick release method to release the remainder of the pressure. When valve drops, carefully remove lid.

Serve piping hot over brown rice or with whole grain pita bread.