Spicy Vegan Chickpea Recipe, Easy Garbanzo Beans with Moroccan Spices

This vegan chickpea recipe with moroccan spices is not just for vegans! The lovely aromatic dish of garbanzo beans is very filling, and perfect as a light, nutritious main dish that will please vegans, vegetarians, and meat-eaters alike.

Why I ❤️ it • Recipe • Ingredients • Preparation

Why I ❤️ it

There is something so comforting in this quick and easy spiced chickpea dish. Perhaps is the amazing combination of spices (what's Ras El Hanout?).

The result is a spicy, smoky dish that reaches your senses well before you have the first taste. The strong aroma calls to you, and then it takes possession of your sense of taste with the first bite. You can still taste it, and crave it long after dinner time.

Utensils and tools

• Spice grinder, or food processor
• 3 quart pot [3 liter]

Ingredients

To make the spice blend

• 2 tablespoons of cayenne pepper
• 1 teaspoon of turmeric powder
• ¼ teaspoon of nutmeg (freshly-grated)
• The seeds of 4 cardamon pods (optional)
• 6 cloves
• ¼ teaspoon of aniseed
• ¼ teaspoon of cumin seeds
• 1 teaspoon of peppercorns
• 1 cinnamon stick (about 1” [2.5 cm]) roughly crushed
• ½ teaspoon of coriander seeds
• 3 allspice berries

For the chickpeas

• 3 tablespoons of olive oil
• 2 large red onion, chopped
• 1 pound of potato [0.45 kg], peeled and chopped
• 1 large carrot, chopped
• 1 tablespoon of sesame seeds
• 6 cups of boiled chickpeas, or canned
• 2 teaspoons of salt, or more to taste

Preparation

Before starting, please make sure you have all the ingredients and utensils ready.

Step 1

To make the Moroccan spice blend, combine all the spices (cayenne pepper, turmeric, nutmeg, cardamon, cloves, aniseed, cumin seeds, peppercorns, cinnamon stick, coriander seeds, and allspice berries) and grind to powder in a spice grinder or food processor.

Set aside.

Step 2

To make the chickpeas, heat the olive oil in the pot over low heat.

Stir in the onions, and cook them stirring until they become translucent.

Step 3

Sprinkle in two tablespoons of the spice blend you made before, ½ teaspoon of salt and mix well.

Add potatoes, carrot, and sesame seeds. Cook and stir for a minute. Add the chickpeas, and ⅓ cup [80 milliliters] of water (best if it is the water in which the chickpeas boiled).

Step 4

Simmer covered over low heat until everything is cooked through, stir and add water as it becomes necessary to prevent it from burning.

There should be some thickened liquid in the end, so add water and heat through as it becomes necessary to keep the same level of liquid you started.

Step 5

Season with salt to taste. Taste and add more of the spice blend if you’d like it spicier.

Remove from the heat and serve.

About Moroccan spices

I usually bring my spices from my travels, but this is not a possibility for many of my readers, so I consulted my cookbooks and the internet, and found out that Ras El Hanout, the traditional Moroccan spice blend is fairly easy to make, and I had all the ingredients at home!

There is no fixed recipe for this blend. Its name translates as "top of the shop", meaning it is the best blend of spices a shop has to offer, and each shop has its own blend. In the end I mixed the quantities according to my own taste, and unlike the blends I found on the internet that are based on ground spices, I ground my own.

Top tips

You may have leftover spice. Store in an airtight container for later use. If you wish to have sufficient leftover spice for another day, double the amount of ingredients for spices.

The smaller you chop the carrot and potatoes the quicker the dish will be ready. Chop into smaller pieces for a shorter cooking time.

Serving suggestions

I served this dish with couscous (following the instructions on the package), as well as preserved lemons, olives, and as dessert we had dry fruits. This may not be an entirely traditional Moroccan meal, but the spirit is there. It's my homage to the wonderful Moroccan cuisine.

Nutritional information

Calories: 437kcal - Carbohydrates: 67g - Protein: 18g - Fat: 13g - Saturated Fat: 2g - Sodium: 807mg - Potassium: 1198mg - Fiber: 17g - Sugar: 12g - Vitamin A: 3470IU - Vitamin C: 24.7mg - Calcium: 155mg - Iron: 8.4mg

FAQs

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