Today’s warming recipe makes a hero of the whole carrot from root to leaf, and sits somewhere between a roast and a stew. The lush green tops are turned into a punchy chermoula that is stirred into the sauce and used as a garnish.
One-pan Moroccan-spiced carrots and chickpeas with carrot top chermoula
One image has stayed with me ever since a journey through a small Moroccan village near Taghazout, just west of Marrakech, all of 12 years ago. Bright orange carrots lay in vast heaps on contrasting blue tarpaulin spread across the ground. I was especially struck by how the vast majority of each pile was green with the feathery foliage that was still attached to the roots we love. The carrot is so often robbed of its crowning glory before it reaches the supermarket shelf, but when you find a bunch with those vibrant tops intact, you’re getting two ingredients for the price of one. Those super-nutritious greens can be stirred into stews, tossed with other leaves, or blended into bright green sauces such as a pesto today’s punchy chermoula, a piquant North African herb sauce that adds brightness and depth to this warming stew.
Serves 4-6
For the spiced carrots
1 bunch carrots (about 600g), with foliage attached
650g new potatoes, halved
2 red or white onions, peeled and cut into thin wedges
4–5 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
Juice and finely grated zest of ½ organic unwaxed lemon
6 garlic cloves, peeled and lightly crushed
5 tsp ras el hanout, or your own blend featuring cinnamon, turmeric, cumin, coriander, paprika and/or ginger
2 x 400g tins chopped tomatoes
2 x 400g tins chickpeas, including their liquid (or 1 x 550g jar)
50g toasted chopped almonds, or walnuts or hazelnuts
Cooked couscous, or barley or quinoa, to serve
Yoghurt, to serve
For the chermoula
2 tsp cumin seeds
2 tsp coriander seeds
1 tsp sweet paprika
1 tsp sea salt
2 garlic cloves, peeled
1 red chilli, diced, or 1–2 tsp cayenne pepper
60g carrot tops (stalks and leaves)
Juice and finely grated zest of ½ organic unwaxed lemon, or 1 tbsp chopped preserved lemon
100ml extra-virgin olive oil
Heat the oven to 190C (fan). Separate the carrot tops from the roots. Wash both thoroughly and set the tops aside for the chermoula. Put the carrots (about 450g), whole or halved if thick, 650g new potatoes and two red or white onions (cut into wedges) on a large tin. Drizzle with olive oil, cover with parchment and roast. After 35 minutes, remove the parchment and cook for another 15–25 minutes, until charred and tender. Mix in the lemon zest and juice (or the chopped preserved lemon), six lightly crushed garlic cloves and five teaspoons of ras el hanout (or your own blend) and roast for 10 more minutes. Stir in any leftover carrot tops (roughly chopped), the chopped tomatoes and the undrained chickpeas and roast for a final 15 minutes, until hot and bubbling.
Meanwhile, make the chermoula: toast the cumin and coriander seeds in a dry pan, then grind to a powder. Add the paprika, sea salt, garlic and diced red chilli, pound to a rough paste, then smash in 60g chopped carrot tops. Mix in the lemon juice and zest and extra-virgin olive oil, then season to taste.
Dot spoonfuls of chermoula on the carrots in the tray, scatter over the crushed nuts and a few extra sprigs of carrot tops, and serve with couscous and yoghurt on the side.