Moroccan Chickpea and Sweet Potato Stew

This recipe is a spin-off of the Moroccan tagine, a North-African stew made inside of a big earthenware pot.  The original recipe I used can be found here.  This dish goes well with cous cous, and should be served with a garnish of yogurt and chopped coriander.

Ingredients

• 3 small onions or 2 large onions, thinly sliced
• 6 garlic cloves, minced
• 2 T fresh ginger, minced
• water or broth for sauteing
• 1 T cumin
• 1 T cinnamon
• 1 T paprika
• 1 t tumeric
• 1 t coriander
• 1 t crushed red pepper flake (more or less as desired,  I use much less for the kids)
• 2 cans chickpeas, with liquid
• 1/2 t salt
• 3 sweet potatoes, peeled, cut into 1 to 2″ chunks
• 1/2 c diced dried apricots
• 3/4 c raisins
• juice from 1 lemon
• 1/2 c apple juice
• 1 can chopped tomatoes
• olive oil for cooking

Instructions

1. On medium-high heat, cook onion in 1 T olive oil for 5-7 minutes until browned.
2. Add garlic, ginger, and additional spices, and cook uncovered for 1 minute.
3. Add the sweet potatoes, apricots, raisins, tomatoes, and apple juice, and cook 15-20 minutes at a gentle simmer.
4. When the sweet potatoes are tender but still firm, add the chickpeas and lemon juice, cooking until the chickpeas are heated through. Season with salt to taste.