Tomato, Date and Chickpea Tagine | Guest Recipes | Nigella's Recipes (2024)

Tomatoes and dates blitzed and cooked together here with some chubby chickpeas (garbanzos) make for a mind-blowingly good sweet, sharp and fruity flavour. Like many things (cheese, wine, human beings...), this dish improves with age; it tastes better after a good rest. Make it the day before, refrigerate and reheat. It really is effortless to make. Some brown butter would be an excellent addition on top to serve; good olive oil is also fine and less of a faff.

For US cup measures, use the toggle at the top of the ingredients list.

Tomatoes and dates blitzed and cooked together here with some chubby chickpeas (garbanzos) make for a mind-blowingly good sweet, sharp and fruity flavour. Like many things (cheese, wine, human beings...), this dish improves with age; it tastes better after a good rest. Make it the day before, refrigerate and reheat. It really is effortless to make. Some brown butter would be an excellent addition on top to serve; good olive oil is also fine and less of a faff.

For US cup measures, use the toggle at the top of the ingredients list.

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  New Kitchen Basics

1. Put the olive oil or butter in a large frying pan over a moderate heat, add the onion and fry for 8–10 minutes, until soft and translucent.
2. Blend half the tomatoes with half of the dates, then add the remaining tomatoes to the mixture and leave to one side.
3. Add the garlic, coriander (fresh coriander) stalks and all the spices to the cooked onions, stir and cook for 1 minute, until aromatic. Add the tomato mixture, the lemon zest and 100ml (3½fl oz) of water, season with salt and pepper to taste, and cook for 10 minutes, until thick and rich.
4. Stir the chickpeas (garbanzos) and the remaining dates into the tomato mixture and cook for 5 minutes to warm through. Add the lemon juice and check the seasoning.
5. Remove the lemon zest from the mixture and discard, then remove the mixture from the heat.
6. Make the seasoned yogurt. In a bowl, mix together the yogurt, lemon juice and a good pinch of salt to taste.
7. Stir through the coriander leaves and serve with a dollop of seasoned yogurt and some couscous. Add brown butter or olive oil at the table.

1. Put the olive oil or butter in a large frying pan over a moderate heat, add the onion and fry for 8–10 minutes, until soft and translucent.
2. Blend half the tomatoes with half of the dates, then add the remaining tomatoes to the mixture and leave to one side.
3. Add the garlic, coriander (cilantro) stalks and all the spices to the cooked onions, stir and cook for 1 minute, until aromatic. Add the tomato mixture, the lemon zest and 100ml (3½fl oz) of water, season with salt and pepper to taste, and cook for 10 minutes, until thick and rich.
4. Stir the garbanzo beans (garbanzos) and the remaining dates into the tomato mixture and cook for 5 minutes to warm through. Add the lemon juice and check the seasoning.
5. Remove the lemon zest from the mixture and discard, then remove the mixture from the heat.
6. Make the seasoned yogurt. In a bowl, mix together the yogurt, lemon juice and a good pinch of salt to taste.
7. Stir through the coriander leaves and serve with a dollop of seasoned yogurt and some couscous. Add brown butter or olive oil at the table.