Moroccan Ras-el-Hanot Carrot and Chickpea

Recently I was going through one of my old cookbooks and in the back of the book I found an old yellow, lined sheet of paper with my chicken scratch for this recipe.  This recipe was given to me by a co-worker when I worked in International Banking in the 80s. The co-worker was Moroccan and I remember she brought me a serving of this very vegetarian dish and I loved it.

I am pretty certain I never got around to making it because back then, it was next to impossible to get any of the exotic spices this recipe takes.  Nowadays, you can find most of them at Whole Foods or Trader Joe's and of course ... the internet.

I use several exotic spices in this recipe which is what gives this vegetarian dish it's heartiness. Ras-el-Hanot, is a mix of several different spices, such as cardamon, cloves cumin, etc. Sumac is a red berry colored spice that has a tangy lemony flavor, often you'll see it sprinkled over hummus. Pilpelchuma  is a fiery spice, use sparingly, but it adds lots of depth to the overall flavor of this dish, so even a pinch is good.

Can you tell I am totally into this recipe and the spices?  I just love Moroccan, Middle Eastern and Indian food and I am pretty sure it's the combination of spices that I am so infatuated with.
Well I've rambled enough, here's the recipe... Oh and the Hub? Yeah, he gave it his usual blessing.

• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 tablespoon pistachio oil
• 1 onion chopped
• 1 tablespoon finely minced garlic
• Salt to taste - about 1 teaspoon
• 1/8 teaspoon Pilpelchuma 
• Black pepper to taste 
• 3/4 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon turmeric
• 2 teaspoons grated ginger
• 1 teaspoon Ras-el-Hanot
• 6-8 carrots, peeled, sliced on the diagonal 
• 1 cup vegetable or chicken stock (if you use chicken stock - the recipe is no longer vegan)
• 1 can chickpeas, drained and rinsed
• 2 tablespoons clover honey
• 1/4 to 1/3 cup of raisins
• Sumac

1. Heat a skillet over medium low heat, add oils, followed by onions and garlic. Saute for 5-8 minutes or until onions are softened.
2. Add the spices and stir to incorporate. Allow to cook for 1 minute, stirring to keep from burning.
3. Add carrots and stock, stir and bring to a low simmer. Reduce heat to low, cover with lid.  Allow to simmer for 20-30 minutes or until carrots are tender.
4. Add raisins, honey and chickpeas, cook and additional 10-15 minutes or until sauce has thickened. 
5. Sprinkle each serving with a pinch of sumac

Serve with brown basmati rice or warm naan bread.  Enjoy!

Recipe Notes:  You can use just olive oil and not the combination I used here.  I just like that little extra something the nut oil gives.  You can use other dried fruit like apricots or dates. You can use cayenne pepper in place of the Pilpelchumal but there are no substitutes for the Ras-el-Hanot or the Sumac.