Looking for a delicious way to serve vegetables? Try this wonderful stew on fluffy, tender, well-seasoned couscous.

Ingredients

• 1 cup dried chickpeas
• 350 grams pumpkin, peeled, cut into 2-3 cm pieces
• 1 small aubergine, cut into 1 cm slices
• 1 red and yellow pepper, deseeded and cut into 4-5 pieces each
• 3 courgettes, cut into 3 cm pieces
• 1 leek, cut down centre, washed, cut into 4 cm lengths
• 1 onion, peeled and chopped
• 1 tsp minced garlic
• 1 cinnamon stick or ½ tsp ground cinnamon
• ¼ tsp ground allspice
• 2 tblsp tomato paste
• 400 gram can tomatoes in juice
• 1 cup vegetable stock
• 1/2 tsp saffron

Couscous

• 1½ cups couscous
• 3 cups vegetable stock
• 1 tblsp harissa
• 25 grams butter
• 2 tblsp freshly chopped Italian parsley

Method

1. Soak chickpeas in cold water overnight, drain and rinse. Place in a saucepan, cover with cold water and bring to the boil. Boil rapidly for 5 minutes then simmer for about 2 hours or until the chickpeas are tender.
2. Toss the prepared pumpkin, aubergine, peppers, courgettes and leek in a dash of olive oil. Arrange on a baking tray and roast at 200°C for 30 minutes or until golden and tender.
3. Gently panfry the onion, garlic, cinnamon stick or ground cinnamon and allspice in a dash oil, until tender, but not brown. Stir in the tomato paste and cook stirring for 1 minute until it starts to darken. Add tomatoes, vegetable stock and saffron and simmer gently for 10 minutes. Add the vegetables and turn to coat in the sauce. Keep warm.
4. Place couscous in a bowl, pour over boiling vegetable stock and stir in the harissa. Cover and set aside for 10 minutes, until the couscous has absorbed all the liquid. Add the butter, cover and microwave the couscous on high power for 3 minutes then fluff quickly with a fork or alternatively spread the couscous on a baking tray and heat in the oven at 180ºC for 10 minutes. (This second cooking or heating step ensures fluffy tender grains)
5. Add the roasted vegetables and chickpeas to the tomato sauce, and stir gently. Season with salt and pepper.
6. Serve in bowls over couscous, garnished with Italian parsley.

Cooks Tips

- If you don't wish to cook dried chickpeas, use about 3 cups of canned ones that have been well-drained. - Harissa is a North African hot chilli paste available in most supermarkets. If unavailable, use a regular chilli paste.