Spicy Moroccan Chickpeas with Beet Noodles

Spicy Moroccan Chickpeas with Beet Noodles

I’m going to cut right to the story. As I was cooking this, I kept...

Spicy Moroccan Chickpeas with Beet Noodles

I’m going to cut right to the story. As I was cooking this, I kept telling myself “don’t forget to add the mint at the end!” However, all I could think about was how amazing the garam masala was making my kitchen smell and I just wanted to dig in.

Of course, I taste it (at the end, before photographing) and I’m jumping up and down because the flavor combinations worked out better than expected and the beet noodles cooked effortlessly perfectly.

Here I go, styling, photographing and clicking away with my Canon. Look at me, so happy!

Then, I remember: I forgot the mint!

*Slaps forehead*

Spicy Moroccan Chickpeas with Beet Noodles

I knew it. I had forgotten the mint, which adds beautiful aromatics to everything it touches. And lightens up heavy stews and sauces. And looks dainty and pretty mixed in with anything.

So, I stirred in the mint, tasted it and… yup, it’s better with the mint.

Spicy Moroccan Chickpeas with Beet Noodles

But what about the pictures?

Well, I didn’t have enough “extras” to make the pictures look pretty, so I figured I’d ramble off this long story (if you’ve made it this far without skipping down to the recipe, congratulations – I’m impressed!) and let you know….

…don’t skip the mint!

Spicy Moroccan Chickpeas with Beet Noodles

Really, the mint does wonders here. The sweetness of the apricots and the thickness of the simmered diced tomatoes are incredible, but the mint comes in and sweeps you off your feet.

Oh, I did manage to snap this shot, but I didn’t have any beets to complete the picture, so…. use your imagination.

Spicy Moroccan Chickpeas with Beet Noodles

This flavorful dish is a hearty, vegetarian meal. Chickpeas are, in my opinion, the most filling bean. Actually, one of my favorite vegetarian meals is chana masala, so maybe there was a little subconscious inspiration going on here.

If you’re not a vegetarian, add some sliced flank steak on top. The beet noodles are hearty enough to complement meat.

Spicy Moroccan Chickpeas with Beet Noodles

Now, hopefully you won’t forget the mint after all my blabbering about it. Go ahead and make this dish – it’s different, flavorful and jam-packed of vegan greatness.

What’s your favorite vegetarian meal?

Nutritional Information & Recipe

Inspiralized

Spicy Moroccan Chickpeas with Beet Noodles

Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 25 minutes
Total Time 40 minutes
Servings 4

Ingredients

  • 3-4 large beets peeled, Blade C, noodles trimmed
  • 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
  • 2 teaspoons minced garlic
  • ½ red onion finely chopped
  • 7 dried apricots small cubed
  • 1 teaspoon garam masala
  • 1 teaspoon cumin
  • salt and pepper to taste
  • ¼ teaspoon crushed red pepper
  • 1 tablespoon lemon juice
  • 1 14 oz can chickpeas rinsed, drained, patted dry
  • 1 14 oz diced tomatoes no salt added
  • 1 tablespoon chopped fresh mint

Instructions

  • Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.
  • Lay out the beet noodles evenly in a baking tray and drizzle with 1 tablespoon of the olive oil. Season with salt and pepper and bake for 10-15 minutes or until wilted.
  • Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add in the rest of the olive oil and once it heats, add in garlic. Cook the garlic for 30 seconds or until fragrant.
  • Add the onions, lemon juice, apricots, garam masala, red pepper flakes and season with salt and pepper. Cook for 5 minutes or until onion begins to slightly brown.
  • Add in the chickpeas and tomatoes and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer for 5-7 minutes, stirring occasionally, to reduce.
  • Once reduced, stir in the mint.
  • Divide the beet noodles onto 4 plates and top each with hearty scoops of the chickpea mixture.
with love, Ali

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Recipe Rating




comments

  • Recipe calls for apricots and instructions call for raisins. Can either be used in this recipe?
  • Should the beets be boiled prior to spiralizing or not?
  • Yum! Funny. I just made something very similar last week. Beet noodles with chicken cashew meatballs in a tomato curry sauce. Then had the left overs last night....minus meatballs....none of those left over.... all with the addition of roasted kabocha squash and cashews. Used basil as that's what I had but mint would have been awesome! I love beet noodles but I find them kind of dry roasted. Prefer them cooked gently in a pan with a little liquid. Love your recipes!
  • Recipe Instructions say 3-4 plates, Nutritional Info says 4 servings, but Recipe header says 6 servings? Can you please clarify? Thanks! (My Spiralizer comes tomorrow--so excited!)
  • I love beets! with tomatoes? Not sure about that.
  • I tried this recipe last night. I loved it. I do not use, however, canned garbanzos. I am old school, which most of the time works against me! Anyhow, I thought the adding of the apricots was fabulous, and of course, the beet noodles were beautiful, tasty, and fun to make. Thank you for sharing your recipes and tips, you are very inspirilizing. :)
  • Amazing recipe!!! I am eating this right now. I made it exactly as you described - however, I did line the baking pan with aluminum foil, added the beets, olive oil, salt and pepper, then tossed to ensure even coating. Thanks for the hint on using gloves while working with the beets. I love the heat in the recipe and the surprise of the sweet, chewy apricot in there. Keep up the good work!
  • I just made this for my lunch tomorrow. Just took a couple bites of the tomato mixture. Holy friggin yum! I used golden beets so my spiralizer wouldn't turn red :). Thanks so much for this! Can't wait for lunch tomorrow!!!
  • Ali, I just wanted to let you know that I made this , this weekend and it is so good !!!!! Thank you
  • Ali--Made this for the second time last night, and was reminded for the second time how amazing it was. My dinner guest said, "I doubt we could find anything close to this good if we went out to eat around here." Enough said. THANK YOU!
    • Aw, thank you so much - I LOVE this comment! This is definitely one of my favorite recipes, I'm glad you like it too!
  • I'm not a fan of beets... Could you recommend a vegetable which would work well as a substitute in this recipe?
  • Made this tonight and the whole family agreed it was awesome. I added a little ginger, but otherwise stayed true to your recipe. Thanks for the inspiration!
  • I know this recipe was posted months ago, but I only tried it last night when I searched for recipes to use some garbanzos in my cupboard and I simply must write to tell you (and other readers) that it's simply wonderful! Yes, beets DO work well with tomatoes. What a delightful surprise, and a healthful one too. Many thanks.
  • May I ask when you add in the cumin? Making this for dinner. Cannot wait!!!! Thank you!!!!
  • I was amazed at how well this all came together--beets and tomatoes, who knew! The sweetness is nicely balanced by the earthiness of the beets, the starchiness of the chickpeas and the Indian spices. I amped up the spices, because I always do, and served it with a dollop of plain yogurt, which worked really well!
  • Am in the process of making this right now and would like to know if the tomatoes are drained or not - thank you