Hearty and aromatic, this Instant Pot Moroccan-inspired chickpea stew tastes even better the next day. So make a full pot on the weekend and serve it up throughout the week! Enjoy it with rice and yogurt or even layered inside of sourdough pitas with a creamy sauce.
My favorite part about making Moroccan stew is that my curious 5 year old loves to help out. That might mean adding ingredients into the pot from his learning tower or snacking on leftover raw veggies from the sidelines. Sometimes he asks for his own little pot so we can pretend to make dueling stews! Either way it’s always a bonus (for me) when mundane ‘means to an end’ meal prep transforms into bonding time. 🙂
Sprouting the chickpeas adds a nutritional boost and helps make them more digestible for little bellies. Here’s a link to how to sprout chickpeas and other legumes. However, soaked chickpeas can be used as well. The version pictured here is gluten free, plant-based and vegan, allium free (no onions, no garlic), nut free, soy free, corn free and nightshade free. See Recipe Notes for the stove-top instructions.
Jump to RecipeMeal planning got crazier a few months ago when nightshades got nixed from the 5 year old’s diet. I can do without potatoes and eggplant, but I definitely have a soft spot for all things tomato and chili peppers. This recipe works for us because when the stew is ready, I can set a few servings to the side and add red chili powder and sautéed tomatoes to the remainder and everyone’s happy!
Let’s begin!
Set Instant Pot to ‘Saute’
Saute cabbage and ginger in oil until fragrant, about a minute. Stir in the sweet potatoes and/or carrots together with 1/2 tsp of salt and black pepper and saute until tender, about 4-5 minutes.
Add the water/broth, diced tomatoes (substitute additional water), sprouted chickpeas, whole, dry masoor lentils, chopped dried apricots (substitute golden raisins) and ras el hanout spice blend. To maximize flavor, I add half the spice blend during this step and save the rest for after the lentils have cooked.
Set the Instant Pot to ‘Pressure Cook’
Cover, set the vent to ‘sealing,’ and pressure cook on High Pressure (Normal mode) for 10 minutes.
Note about Nightshades: If you eat nightshades, you can add paprika or cayenne into the pot at this time as well.
Note about the spice blend: There are dozens of aromatic herbs and spices that can go into ras el hanout, so don’t be limited by the blend you have on hand or ingredients you find in online recipes. Some of the spices I like to toss into the mix include turmeric, galangal, and nutmeg. When I’m in a pinch I’ll even use a combination of 7-spice blend together with coriander/cumin powder as a substitute. You really cant go wrong here. See the recipe notes for a spice blend recipe.
Rest
After the Pressure Cook cycle is over, let cool for at least 15 minutes before releasing the pressure.
Add any remaining ras el hanout spice blend, salt, lemon juice, black pepper and even additional fresh ginger, to taste. If you eat nightshades, now’s the time to add any additional cayenne or paprika, to taste, as well.
Serve!
Serve with a swirl of extra virgin olive oil (optional).
Sprouted Chickpea Stew
Ingredients
- 1 cup chopped cabbage
- 2 tbsp minced/zested ginger
- 2 tsp cooking oil
- 1 tsp salt divided, to taste
- 2 cups sprouted chickpeas substitute 1 cup dry chickpeas, soaked overnight (12 hrs)
- 1 cup whole, dry masoor lentils rinsed, substitute green lentils
- 2 cups water or broth
- 1.75 cups canned diced tomatoes 15 oz can, substitute water for nightshade free version
- 1 cup chopped sweet potatoes up to 1.5 cups
- 1 cup chopped carrots up to 1.5 cups
- 0.5 cup chopped dried apricots substitute golden raisins
- 1 tbsp ras el hanout spice blend more to taste, see Recipe Notes for substitution
- 2 tbsp lemon juice to taste
- 1 tsp ground black pepper to taste
- salt to taste
- 1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil optional, to taste
- cayenne and/or paprika optional, to taste. Omit for nightshade free version
Instructions
- Turn the Instant Pot to Saute mode. Once heated, saute cabbage and ginger in cooking oil until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add sweet potatoes, carrots, salt and a dash of black pepper. Sauté until tender, about 4-5 minutes more.
- Stir in sprouted or soaked chickpeas, rinsed whole masoor/green lentils, water/broth, diced tomatoes (sub water/broth), chopped dried apricots (substitute golden raisins) and a portion of the ras el hanout spice blend. Cover the Instant Pot lid, set the vent to ‘sealing,’ and Pressure Cook on High Pressure (Normal mode) for 10 minutes.
- Let rest for a minimum of 15 minutes before opening. Gently stir in the remaining ras el hanout spice blend (and more) together with salt, black pepper and lemon juice, to taste. If you eat nightshades, add cayenne pepper powder and paprika, to taste, as well.
- Serve with a swirl of extra virgin olive oil (optional).
Notes
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon ground ginger
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 3/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/2 teaspoon ground coriander seeds
- 1/2 teaspoon cayenne
- 1/2 teaspoon ground allspice
- 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
Tried this recipe or just have something fun to share? I’d love to hear about it. 🙂
