Transport yourself to a vibrant Moroccan marketplace with this flavorful vegetable tagine recipe.
Bursting with aromatic spices and tender vegetables, this dish is a surprisingly simple way to create a deeply satisfying and exotic meal.
Are you ready to unlock the secrets to making this culinary masterpiece?
[DIRECTIONS]:
Ingredients
Let's gather the goodies needed for this vegetarian chow mein adventure!
First, you'll need 6 oz of fresh chow mein noodles – the star of our show. Next, grab 2 tablespoons of oil for stir-frying everything to golden perfection! Also, mince 2 cloves of garlic; that's where the magic aroma comes from.
Chop 2 cups of shredded Chinese cabbage, julienne ½ cup of carrot, and slice 2 scallion stems (about 2"/4cm long) – almost like a veggie rainbow! And, if you like them, grab 1 cup of bean sprouts.
For tofu – our stand-in– slice 5 oz firm tofu then marinate in ½ tbsp soy sauce and 1 tbsp Chinese wine. Don't have Chinese cooking wine? No worries, use sherry!
Let's concoct this sauce; you'll need ½ tbsp hoisin sauce, 1½ tbsp soy sauce, ½ tbsp chilli garlic sauce (if you're feeling spicy!), 2 tsp sugar, ½ tsp sesame oil, ¼ cup water!
Instructions
Now that everything is prepped and ready from our ingredient list, I'll walk you through the cooking steps. First, get those chow mein noodles ready. Usually, that means a quick dip in boiling water – check the package for the specifics though, I don't want to mess that up for you!
Next, let's get that tofu ready. Mix your sliced tofu with 1/2 tbsp of soy sauce and 1 tbsp of Chinese cooking wine, and just let it chill for 5 minutes. This is like a mini spa day for your tofu!
Then, combine all the sauce ingredients in a small bowl. You'll need 1/2 tbsp hoisin sauce, 1 1/2 tbsp soy sauce, a dash of chili garlic sauce (if you're feeling spicy!), 2 tsp of sugar, 1/2 tsp sesame oil, 1/4 cup of water, and a pinch of white pepper!
Directions Using Homemade Real Chinese All Purpose Stir Fry Sauce
I've got a shortcut for you if you've already made a batch of my Real Chinese All Purpose Stir Fry Sauce! You're in for a super-quick chow mein—we're talking almost instant!
First, skip the tofu marinade. Instead, toss your sliced tofu with 1 tablespoon of my Stir Fry Sauce. It'll give it that perfect little kick!
Now, ditch the sauce ingredients. You won't need 'em! Instead, grab ¼ cup of my Stir Fry Sauce. Mix it with ¼ cup of water. It's like magic, but edible! This sauce simplifies dinner much like how a cashew chicken recipe makes weeknight meals easier to manage.
Why bother making two sauces when you've already got the best one ready? I really like to work smarter, not harder, and I want you to do the same! Ready to enjoy your super speedy and delicious stir fry?!
Recipe Notes:
Before we wrap things up, there are a few extra tweaks you might wanna know about. First, if you're out of chow mein noodles – no sweat! You can totally swap 'em for other egg noodles, like hokkien – or even rice noodles if that's your jam.
Now, about that Chinese cooking wine: don't have any? Sake or sherry will work just fine. Or, if you're feeling fancy, grab the mirin, but ditch the 2 teaspoons of sugar 'cause mirin's already sweet enough, ya know?
Finally, I always like to know what I'm putting into my body, so I included the nutrition info per serving. Calories, carbs, protein, the whole shebang – keepin' it real! Enjoy!
Short Recipe Version
Vegetable Tagine (Short Version)
Prep time: 20 minutes
Cook time: 45 minutes
Servings: 6
Ingredients:
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 1 onion, chopped
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 red bell pepper, chopped
- 1 yellow bell pepper, chopped
- 1 zucchini, chopped
- 1 eggplant, chopped
- 1 (28 oz) can diced tomatoes
- 1 (15 oz) can chickpeas, drained and rinsed
- 1 cup vegetable broth
- 1/4 cup raisins
- 1/4 cup chopped almonds
- 2 tbsp tomato paste
- 1 tsp ground cumin
- 1 tsp ground coriander
- 1/2 tsp turmeric
- 1/4 tsp cinnamon
- Salt and pepper to taste
- Fresh cilantro, chopped (for garnish)
Instructions:
- Heat olive oil in a large pot or Dutch oven over medium heat. Add onion and cook until softened, about 5 minutes.
- Add garlic, bell peppers, zucchini, and eggplant; cook for 5-7 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- Stir in diced tomatoes, chickpeas, vegetable broth, raisins, almonds, tomato paste, cumin, coriander, turmeric, and cinnamon. Season with salt and pepper.
- Bring to a simmer, then reduce heat, cover, and cook for 30 minutes, or until vegetables are tender.
- Serve hot, garnished with fresh cilantro.
Nutrition Information (Estimated per serving):
- Calories: 250-300
- Protein: 8-10g
- Fat: 12-15g
- Carbohydrates:30-40g