Hello darlings!
I forgot to plan something for dinner, so I made this stew impromptu! I had some vegan meatballs that I got from Ikea that I wanted to use, but I didn’t want to make a typical tomato sauce.
The spices I used were made to mimic the amazing Moroccan ras al hanout. We completely ran out of Moroccan spice mixes (to my Moroccan family reading this, I came up with this recipe last minute and didn’t have time to come over and take some from you 😭) so I tried to mimic it as well as I could with the individual spices in my spice cupboard.
I wouldn’t say it had the exact Maghrebi taste that I was hoping for, but it was super yummy in its own way! There’s no shame in not being able to replicate something fully, especially when you compare it to the spices you get from Morocco. I’m just glad it turned out beautiful and accessible for those who want to do something new with their spice cupboard.
I also used a lot of oil in this recipe to mimic the fat that comes out of meat when you have a meaty stew. It was wholesome and hearty and comforting and it really gave the stew a yummy texture, especially when mixed with the rich spices. I will make this again and again and again!
You can make your own vegan meatballs, or use whichever ones you have on you. Alternatively, you can use this stew with beans, chickpeas, or anything else you want! Make this recipe yours. I came up with it by using whatever I had in the fridge because I hate wasting food, so do the same! Trust yourself when it comes to veggies ❤️.
Also, if you haven’t checked out Ikea’s vegan range, especially their hot dogs and meatballs, I would recommend you try ASAP. These meatballs are so clean. They’re soy free and made from chickpeas, peas, carrots, bell peppers, corn, kale, pea starch, onions, oil, and spices. They don’t try to mimic meat, but have their own unique rich taste and texture.
I love you all so much! Here’s the recipe for two (I ate it all by myself though)
Spices:
1/2 teaspoon of cumin
1/2 teaspoon of garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon of coriander powder or dried coriander
1/2 teaspoon of ginger powder (or chop some up and fry with the onion and garlic)
3-4 hairs of saffron or 1/4 teaspoon of saffron powder
1/4 teaspoon of sweet paprika
1/4 teaspoon of spicy paprika
1 bay leaf
Veggies
1/2 a carrot chopped
1 tomato chopped
1/2 bell pepper chopped
1 onion sliced thinly
3 cloves of garlic sliced thinly
1/2 handful of raisins
1tsp tomato paste
Additions
7 vegan meatballs
2 tbsp olive oil
Bread/rice/pasta/quinoa/couscous/carb of your choice
1L of boiled water
Instructions
1. Cook up your vegan meatballs and set aside. If possible, try to overcook so they don’t collapse, because vegan meatballs aren’t always as sturdy as the meaty counterparts.
2. Heat the olive oil and once hot, dash your onions and saute on low-medium heat until they soften. Add your garlic and let cook slightly until fragrant/golden
3. Add all of your spices except the bay leaf and mix until everything is covered
4. Add the rest of your veggies except the raisins and mix. Once your veggies are also covered in the spices, add the tomato paste and mix again for 1 minute
5. Add the water and bay leaf and let boil for 3 minutes on high heat. Then lower to medium heat, cover and cook for around half an hour until the water has reduced significantly and the stew thickens up. Check every 10 minutes to see how it’s doing and if the water reduces too fast, feel free to add more. Whilst you wait, you can make your rice/pasta/couscous/quinoa. If you want to make brown rice, I have instructions on my Instagram here (I know how tricky it can be, but I made it easy).
6. The carrots should be soft by the time it’s ready and your stew should be just the right consistency for you. If you want it extra thick, mix some cornstarch in cold water until it dissolves and dash the cornstarch in the stew — I don’t think you would need to do that here, especially because we used a lot of oil at the beginning
7. When done, add the raisins and meatballs and mix to let the raisins plump and the meatballs absorb some of the sauce before serving
Enjoy! I don’t upload all of my recipes and healthy vegan hacks on here, so if you want more, feel free to head to my Instagram! xox
I love you all so much!
Diana xoxo
Instagram: @flowerknafeh
Twitter: @superknafeh
