Make Ahead

"It's Maaaaa-gic!" Moroccan Carrots

by:
March  2, 2011
4 Stars
"It's Maaaaa-gic!" Moroccan Carrots
Photo by James Ransom
Author Notes

Never have been one to leave well enough alone (see: 'What's Up Doc' Carrot Vichyssoise), here's another recipe inspired by my favorite Looney Tunes character, who was fond of saying: "Carrot are divine! You get a dozen for a dime! It's maaaaa-gic!"
(Bugs Bunny graphic courtesy Warner Bros. Entertainment) —wssmom

  • Serves 4
Ingredients
  • 1 pound skinny carrots, scraped and cut into little cubes
  • 1 teaspoon olive oil
  • 1 teaspoon each: cinnamon, nutmeg, cumin, paprika (or aleppo pepper, thanks for the introduction, Sagegreen!), and caraway seeds
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
  • couple cloves of garlic, smashed
  • 1 14.5 ounce can chickpeas, drained well
  • 1 14.5 ounce can chopped tomatoes, juice and all
  • 1 tablespoon honey or other sweetener
  • water, if needed
  • 1/4 cup chopped cilantro
In This Recipe
Directions
  1. Cook the carrots in a small amount of salted water until tender, about 5-7 minutes (more if you cut them bigger).
  2. Meanwhile, heat the oil in a medium saucepan and add the spices and garlic; cook, stirring, over medium-low heat, until the kitchen starts to smell like Rabat or Marrakesh.
  3. Drain the carrots and stir into the spices along with the tomatoes, the chickpeas, and the honey. Simmer about 15 minutes, adding water if needed; stir in the cilantro, and serve alongside your favorite grain (farro, quinoa, brown rice, etc.)
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26 Reviews

marsiamarsia
marsiamarsia September 28, 2016
We had this with a combination of rice and farro for dinner last night, and I had the leftovers for lunch today with tricolor Israeli couscous. I say this recipe's not only magic but also magnificent!
 
ihaventpoisonedyouyet
ihaventpoisonedyouyet June 15, 2016
Every time I make this I always wish I'd doubled the recipe so there'd be leftovers. It is a fabulous recipe. I usually serve the carrots with a lamb shank tagine recipe on food52 but this time I served it with haddock with chermoula (?) sauce and Israeli couscous. I think Ina Garten said its best to stick within the same family of flavor and this carrot dish was perfect. I have to say the couscous was a nice counterpoint and I added roasted cauliflower and some chopped preserved lemons. Next time I might try combining the doctored couscous with the carrots and chick peas.
 
OdaO
OdaO February 14, 2015
Both tempting and intriguing, but 1 tsp of cinnamon, really?
 
Manhattan T.
Manhattan T. February 4, 2015
Very tasty! I chunked the carrots into slightly larger pieces and roasted them then added them into the pan w/ all of the reduced sauce ingredients. Per LeeLeeBee's suggestion, I used a few tsp. of Pomegranate molasses. Went easy on the nutmeg (maybe 1/4 tsp. of freshly ground) and did half smoked paprika/half Hungarian. This was tasty, fragrant and colorful; we loved it!
 
keg72
keg72 January 12, 2015
I just made this and thought it was delicious! For those like me who often need/want to make things ahead, I just wanted to comment that I made the dish in the morning and then refrigerated it all day. I then reheated it on the stove over a low flame with the addition of a little water, and it was perfect! In fact, I think the flavors further developed as it sat. Thanks for a great recipe!
 
Susan G.
Susan G. December 27, 2014
Thank you for sharing this recipe. It sounded intriguing (I do like flavorful foods, vegetarian entrees, and sweet/savory combinations) so I did not make any alterations. I found this recipe a bit off though. Not bad, just off. I suspect it was the nutmeg and may try again without it. Thanks again.
 
Helen M.
Helen M. October 30, 2014
Aleppo pepper - a.k.a. "magic spice"
 
saragrad
saragrad February 20, 2014
I just made this, had a taste and was blown away by the flavour. Admittedly, I was a little sceptical about adding honey as I don't usually like sweeteners in savoury dishes but I trusted the reviewers and was glad I did. This is a really delicious recipe for carrots and the best thing is that it can be a meal in itself.
 
Melissa R.
Melissa R. December 3, 2013
I can't tell you how many times I've made this recipe. It really is magic.
 
LeeLeeBee
LeeLeeBee October 15, 2013
I found that the recipe needed a touch of acid, so I added about two teaspoons of pomegranate molasses (and omitted the honey).
 
anne
anne October 3, 2013
I am curious, why is the photo (which is beautiful btw) large carrot pieces, but the recipe says to chop into small dice or cubes? These discrepancies make me a bit nuts. Thx.
 
kgindermaur
kgindermaur July 6, 2013
Really, really great recipe! All the spices make the dish very complex and filling. Great standby, thanks!
 
LizCo77
LizCo77 July 5, 2013
Delicious! I might leave out the sweetener next time to suite my taste, but this will definitely be added to my dinner/lunch on the go repertoire. Very satisfying, and very flavorful.
 
EmilyC
EmilyC March 22, 2013
Made these tonight and loved them! My husband commented about 5 times how much he liked them, and they were a hit with my kids too. Going into the rotation!
 
kgindermaur
kgindermaur March 16, 2013
This is an incredible vegetable dish! So savory and flavorful. I followed the recipe exactly and served with basmati rice and a paprika-seasoned pork chop. Delicious!
 
Sarah L.
Sarah L. February 26, 2013
Delicious! I didn't change a thing to the recipe either.
 
csquaredinoc
csquaredinoc February 14, 2013
So I thought I was making this to go with lamb merguez sausage, but my boyfriend surprised me with fillet mignon tonight. I only added a half teaspoon of each spice, I substituted fresh dill from our garden for the caraway seed, and I skipped the chickpeas (we'll get plenty of protein in the main dish). I paired it with a basic couscous. Hopefully it will all still go well together! *crosses fingers*
 
carswell
carswell June 15, 2013
Mmmm. I have some merguez sausage in the freezer - sounds like a great combination with this salad.
 
Deborah C.
Deborah C. November 12, 2012
Love this!!! I used purple and golden carrots from the farmers market as well as orange and fresh heirloom tomatoes. Yumm. The color was great.
I'm making it for Thanksgiving dinner...to give tradition a twist
 
Amandadp
Amandadp October 22, 2012
This is great and I love how simple it is. I will certainly make it again.
 
Jestei
Jestei March 14, 2011
these are great. doubled them for a dinner party.
 
Author Comment
wssmom
wssmom March 15, 2011
I amo so glad you enjoyed them!