Middle Eastern Jackfruit and Chickpea Stew with Zough
A flavorful and aromatic Middle Eastern-inspired stew made with young jackfruit, chickpeas, and a blend of spices, served with zough sauce.
Ingredients
Stew
- 2tbspolive oil
- 1piecelarge onion, finely chopped
- 565gtin of young jackfruit in brine, drained
- 6clovegarlic, finely chopped
- 2tspfinely grated ginger
- 5tspbaharat spice mix
- 2tbsptomato paste
- 1tbspsoy sauce or tamari
- 400gtin of peeled plum tomatoes or 3 medium ripe tomatoes
- 1piecevegetable (vegan) stock cube
- 1piecefresh or dried bay leaf
- 1/2tspcoarse sea salt
- pinchhot chilli or a squeeze of harissa paste
- 80gMedjool dates, diced finely
- 400gcooked chickpeas
- 1tbsppomegranate molasses
- 1tspdate syrup (optional)
- piecepomegranate arils, to serve
- piecequick-pickled or preserved lemon, chopped finely
- piecetoasted almond flakes, to serve
Zough
- 1bundlecoriander (or 50% coriander and 50% parsley)
- 1clovegarlic
- 1/2tspground cardamom
- 1/2tspground cumin
- pinchchilli flakes
- 1/2tspsalt
- tbspolive oil
- piecesqueeze of lemon
How to make Middle Eastern Jackfruit and Chickpea Stew with Zough
Stew
Heat up the oil in a heavy-bottomed pot.
Add the diced onion and fry gently until almost translucent, stirring from time to time.
Cut off the fleshy bits of the jackfruit pieces and discard any seeds. Squash the jackfruit pieces down with a fork to separate the fibers and set aside.
Add chopped garlic and grated ginger to the pot with onion. Sauté all the aromatics together, stirring often.
Add jackfruit pieces and baharat mix into the aromatics mixture. Fry the spices gently for a minute or two, stirring the whole time.
Stir in tomato paste, soy sauce, squashed plum tomatoes and their juices, vegan stock cube, bay leaf, salt, chilli, chopped dates, and water.
Simmer on low-medium heat until the tomato flesh breaks down and excess moisture evaporates, stirring from time to time.
Add in cooked chickpeas towards the end of the simmering time.
Season with pomegranate molasses, date syrup or sugar, and extra salt if needed.
Allow the flavors to mature for a day before consuming if possible.
Zough
Put coriander leaves and delicate stems, garlic, spices, and salt in a food processor. Pulse until minced finely or leave it chunkier if preferred.
Drizzle in the oil while the processor is running. Stop once the mixture reaches a sauce consistency.
Season with a squeeze of lemon and some extra salt if needed. Store in a jar in the fridge for 1-2 weeks.
Tips & Tricks
Serve the stew on some rice, preferably brown rice, with a dollop of zough, some finely chopped preserved or quick-pickled lemons, and toasted almonds.
Saramin
(@678sarin)
My name is Saramin is a culinary enthusiast with a flair for transforming everyday ingredients into delightful, flavour-packed dishes. Passionate about home cooking, Sarin specializes...