This gorgeous, comforting, slightly sweet and delicately spiced Moroccan tagine, is the perfect dish for the grounding of the soul. Red foods and root vegetables such as carrots, sweet potatoes, onions and garlic along with warming spices and protein rich food like chickpeas are all associated with the root chakra.

When I make a tagine I always roast my veggies as you get a far better depth of flavour. I also like to sprinkle them with dried garlic (fresh garlic can sometimes go a bit acrid and bitter) and cumin seeds which work beautifully with root veg like carrots and sweet potatoes.

I suggest you serve the tagine with a gluten free barley couscous or red rice, red quinoa or cauliflower rice (the choice is entirely yours!). Then for a probiotic punch I drizzle with a kefir yoghurt (or a plant based yoghurt if vegan) and then sprinkle with chopped hazelnuts and pomegranate seeds for a beautiful texture and crunch.

Ingredients (serves 4)

1 sweet potato peeled (cut into 2cm chunks)

1 carrot peeled  (cut into 2cm chunks)

1 courgette (cut into half-moons 2cm chunks)

1 small red pepper (cut into 2cm chunks)

1 small yellow pepper (cut into 2cm chunks)

1 teaspoon cumin seeds

1 teaspoon dried garlic powder

3 tablebspoons mild olive oil  

1 red onion, thinly sliced

3 garlic cloves, thinly sliced

2cm chunk of fresh ginger, very very finely chopped

2 teaspoons ras-el-hanout (Moroccan tagine spice if you can get it)

1 teaspoon ground coriander

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

400g tin good quality tomatoes

250ml vegetable stock

1 teaspoon good quality honey

100g pitted prunes

400g tin chickpeas, rinsed and drained

Small bunch coriander (stalks chopped for the tagine and leaves left to garnish)

Sea salt and freshly 

Method

Preheat the oven to 170C Fan/Gas 5. Mix the sweet potato, carrot, courgette, red pepper and yellow pepper in a large bowl. Drizzle over 2 tablespoons of the oil and mix to coat. Sprinkle over the cumin seeds, garlic powder and season with salt and pepper. Roast for 15 minutes until tender (but not mushy) – remove from the oven and set aside.

Warm a large pan over a medium heat, add 1 tablespoon of olive oil and add the onions and fry for 3–5 minutes, stirring regularly, until softened and transparent. Next add the garlic, chopped ginger, ras-el-hanout, coriander and cinnamon and fry for 1–2 minutes, stirring frequently until it smells delicious and fragrant.

Stir in the chopped tomatoes, vegetable stock, coriander stalks, honey, prunes and chickpeas until well combined. Simmer for 10 minutes. Add the roasted vegetables and cook for a further 15 minutes, or until the tagine is thick and the vegetables are tender.

Sprinkle with the chopped coriander, pomegranate seeds, chopped hazelnuts and serve with freshly cooked barley couscous or red rice or cauliflower rice or quinoa.