Moroccan Stew

Ingredients

⅓ cup olive oil

3 cups coarsely chopped onions

2 garlic cloves, minced or pressed

1 teaspoon ground cumin

1 teaspoon turmeric

½ teaspoon cinnamon

¼ to 1 teaspoon cayenne

½ teaspoon paprika

1 cup sliced carrots

4 cups cubed sweet potatoes or butternut squash

3 cups cubed eggplant

1 green pepper, sliced in strips

4 cups sliced zucchini or summer squash

2 large tomatoes, chopped

1½ cups cooked garbanzo beans (see

Appendix), liquid reserved pinch of saffron

¾ cup dried currants or ½ cup raisins

¼ cup chopped fresh parsley

Directions

In a stew pot, heat the olive oil and sauté the onions for 2 or 3 minutes. Add the garlic and spices, stirring continuously. Add the vegetables in the order given above, so that the starchier vegetables will cook the longest. Sauté after the addition of each vegetable until its color deepens. Stir in the garbanzo beans, the saffron, and the currants or raisins. There should be some liquid at the bottom of the pot from the cooking vegetables. However, if the stew is dry, add ½ cup of tomato juice, liquid from the garbanzo beans, or water.

Cover the stew and simmer on low heat until all the vegetables are tender. Add chopped parsley just before serving .