How to turn the whole carrot, from leaf to root, into a Moroccan-spiced stew – recipe
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.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The Guardian
a day ago
- The Guardian
Where camels die of thirst: Morocco's oasis emergency
Oases constitute an original ecosystem, based on the right balance of three elements: the abundance of water, the quality of the soil and the presence of date palms. They are located in arid and semi-arid regions and are considered an ecological bulwark against desertification and an important refuge for biodiversity. The exhibition Thirst: In Search of Freshwater at the Wellcome Collection, which explores humanity's vital connection with fresh water, runs until 1 February 2026. All photographs: M'hammed Kilito With their parasol-shaped foliage, date palms create a humid microclimate favourable to the development of plants. However, they are in rapid decline. According to official statistics from the Moroccan ministry of agriculture, the country has lost two-thirds of its 14m palm trees over the last century. And for the past 20 years, the delicate balance of these desert islands of greenery has suffered from the impacts of human intervention and climate change M'hammed Kilito says: 'Over the past four years, I have mainly documented life in oases and the effects of global warming such as desertification, drought and fires. I intend to better understand the specificity and organisation of different oasis spaces and local communities in the face of climate change.' He says he 'will also aim to learn more about best practices and different approaches and programmes applied to the valorisation, conservation and sustainable development of oases'. You can read more about this image in the Guardian's My Best Shot feature In documenting life in the oases, Kilito has focused on the complex issues of oasis degradation in Morocco and its impact on their inhabitants. His work is also a call to protect the ancestral heritage of the nomadic culture in Morocco as well as the oasis ecosystem The construction of wells has made it possible to recover new and larger desert areas for cultivation, making water available on demand. But this well is Tighmert's only water source, and the level of the water table has dropped drastically over the last five years A traditional water distribution system. Water management is a major problem for the future of Moroccan oases: building wells is a structural issue, and sustaining them is a climatic one Mohammed's family is one of four still living in the village of Ait M'hanned next to Tighmert Oasis. Previously, the village was home to 100 families. The potter explains that due to global warming and lack of work, most families have moved further north to cities such as Guelmim and Agadir Every Sunday morning, Mohammed goes out very early to collect wood to fire the pottery he has crafted that week. Kilito says: 'I have visited many oases, where I have made strong connections with their inhabitants. I was able to understand this rich environment but also its glaring realities. I realised that desertification, recurrent droughts and fires, changes in agricultural practices, overexploitation of natural resources, rural exodus, and the sharp drop in the water table are all imminent threats to the existence of oases' Kilito says: 'According to an inhabitant of the Tighmert Oasis, who accompanied me, this is a camel that got lost in the desert and died of thirst' The yellow bee is a species endemic to the Sahara that is threatened with extinction. Decimated by the massive spraying of insecticides in response to locust invasions during the 1980s and 90s, its population has drastically declined. Hayat is a beekeeper who calls the yellow bee a guardian of the unique biodiversity that underpins the richness of this region. She sees safeguarding it as her duty: if the bee becomes extinct, so will the oasis To build water towers, the inhabitants of the oases form associations. Each family gives a certain amount of money to build a tower and to benefit from it Kilito calls youth emigration a major problem for the oases. 'Many young people I met are considering crossing illegally to the Canary Islands due to global warming, water crises and lack of job opportunities. The oases need their youth to take care of them.' Hicham migrated to France, but after a year of difficult and poorly paid jobs, he returned to Morocco. 'Today, Hicham is a fulfilled young man, happy to be in Morocco. He works in a school and is active in the education and associative field' In 2019, Greenpeace warned of the threat of extinction facing oases due to the considerable impact of high temperatures on their water resources, resulting in a decrease in agricultural and livestock activities and the displacement of their populations. The organisation says the frequency of droughts has increased over the past 20-40 years in Morocco from once every five years to once every two years
Daily Mail
3 days ago
- Daily Mail
St Augustine pictured as black in children's book published by Church of England as part of diversity drive
St Augustine has been depicted as a black man in a children's book written by Church of England officials as part of its diversity drive. The saint, one of the most influential figures in Christian history, has been illustrated as black in a new book called Heroes of Hope. This book says it seeks to inspire children with examples of 'Black and brown saints, often erased and whitewashed from history, who formed the church and therefore modern society as we know it today'. Aurelius Augustinus was born in 345 AD in a Mediterranean coastal town now in modern-day Algeria, going on to become a bishop of the North African settlement of Hippo. Over the years, most depictions of St Augustine have been of a white man. At that time in history, the area was a Roman province, although Augustine and his mother Saint Monica may have originated from the North African Berber ethnic group. Although this would not make him black, there have been efforts to apply this identity to him by some groups, including at the Catholic University of Villanova in Pennsylvania. An official at the university wrote in 2023 that it was important to depict the saint as black because 'depicting St. Augustine as a Black man actively decentres whiteness'. Who was St Augustine? St Augustine was born on November 13, 354, in Tagaste, Numidia (modern-day Algeria), in a Roman community in a river valley 40 miles from the Mediterranean coast. He is regarded as perhaps the most significant Christian thinker after St Paul. His main contribution was adapting classical thought to Christian teaching, creating a theological system of great power and lasting influence. He became the bishop of the coastal city of Hippo and over the course of his life rose to become a writer with a global reputation. He died on August 28, 430. To this day he is highly revered by both Catholics and Protestants. His work is notable as more than five million words of his writing survive, ranging from sermons to theological treatises. Heroes of Hope was co-authored by The Rev Dr Sharon Prentis, who was appointed the deputy director of the Church of England's Racial Justice Unit in January 2023. The unit was set up in 2022, in the wake of Black Lives Matter protests, to help meet the Church's commitments to achieving racial justice. Dr Prentis's co-writer was Alysia-Lara Ayonrinde, the Church's national education lead for racial justice. The Church's previous work on racial justice has included efforts to make Christian artwork more diverse, while clergy have declared that 'God is not a white man'. Although the CofE is based in white-majority England, around 80 per cent of the worldwide Anglican Communion is black. Heroes of Hope describes itself as a book that 'celebrates the achievements of Christians of global majority heritage', where kids will discover 22 inspirational people from different backgrounds and cultures. The book is being published by the Society for Promoting Christian Knowledge, the biggest independent Christian publisher in the UK. The publisher wrote: 'From the cities of Europe to the deserts of Africa, from the wild open spaces of America to the busy streets of China, and from the green, tropical Solomon Islands to the mines of Bolivia, each person featured in this book has made a difference in their local communities in their own unique way.' The Church will have a limited number of free copies to distribute to schools, according to the Telegraph. In 2023 the Daily Mail revealed children in Church of England schools were being taught the 'pyramid of white supremacy' anti-racism theory. Pictured: the graphic given to schools The foreword of the book was written by Lord Paul Boateng, a Labour peer who was a Member of Parliament (MP) for Brent South from 1987 to 2005. He was the UK's first Black Cabinet Minister in May 2002, when he was appointed as Chief Secretary to the Treasury. The depiction of St Augustine as black comes as children's books are placing a greater focus on diversity. An illustrated children's book entitled Brilliant Black British History raised eyebrows in 2023 when it claimed that 'the very first Britons were black' and that Stonehenge was built while Britain was 'a black country'. It was written by Atinuke, a Nigerian-born British author, with the introduction stating that Britain has been 'mostly a white country for a lot less time than it has been mostly a black country'. The CoE's St Augustine portrayal comes in the wake of the previous Archbishop of Canterbury, the Most Rev Justin Welby, calling the church 'deeply institutionally racist' in 2020. He has led the church from 2013 until January 2025, and in the aftermath of the 2020 George Floyd protests set up a taskforce which produced the Lament to Action report. The report reviewed 36 years of racial justice history in the church and made 47 proposals to end a 'rut of inaction' spanning several decades. Meanwhile, it was revealed in 2023 that Church of England schools were being taught the 'pyramid of white supremacy' anti-racism theory. The theory was displayed to schools in a graphic put together by the US-based Equality Institute, which describes itself as a 'global feminist agency working to advance gender equality and end violence against women and girls'. The document explicitly told teachers to use 'visuals' including the pyramid to 'help pupils understand how bias, stereotypes and prejudice can lead to racist words and actions, leading to physical harm and death'. And in March 2024 the Church hired a £36,000-a-year 'deconstructing whiteness' officer to combat racial injustice. The role works to address monuments and artworks linked to the slave trade. It is part of the 11-person team from the church's Racial Justice Unit and includes a director, programme manager, theologian, communications catalyst and six development workers. Although some Reverends disapproved of the spending and accused the Church of 'drinking the critical race Kool Aid' and indulging in 'student politics'.
The Guardian
3 days ago
- The Guardian
Meera Sodha's vegan recipe for Sri Lankan-style aubergine and tomato rice
Some recipes are easy to describe, a variation on this or that. Others, such as this one, are more challenging. But imagine this: seared aubergines cooked with sweet onions and tomatoes, spiced with aromatics such as cardamom, chilli, mustard seeds and smoky curry leaves, then melted into a pot with rice, water and time, until wetter than a risotto but less homogeneous than a congee. A perfect meal to cook on a cool summer's evening to slow yourself down, both to stoke an appetite and to warm the belly. Fresh curry leaves are now sold in most large supermarkets, so never settle for dried ones. Box or wrap any you don't use and freeze for another time; much the same applies to green finger chillies, too. Prep 15 minCook 1 hr Serves 4 9 tbsp rapeseed oil 2 medium aubergines (600g), cut into 3cm x 3cm dice2 tsp fine sea salt 2 red onions, peeled and thinly sliced30 fresh curry leaves 2 green cardamom pods, lightly bashed5 garlic cloves, peeled and minced 360g cherry tomatoes, halved250g arborio rice 1 tsp black mustard seeds 2 green finger chillies, stalks discarded, the rest finely chopped Pour three tablespoons of the oil into your widest nonstick frying pan and set it on a high heat. When the oil is very hot, add half the aubergines, sprinkle over a quarter-teaspoon of salt and cook, stirring often, for about eight minutes, until browned on the outside and nearly cooked through (ie, not completely soft). Transfer to a large plate, add another three tablespoons of oil to the pan and repeat with the second batch of aubergines and another quarter-teaspoon of salt. Heat a tablespoon of oil in the same frying pan and, once it's hot, add the onions, half the curry leaves, all the crushed cardamom and a teaspoon of salt. Cook, stirring, for 10 minutes, until soft, then add the garlic and cook for two minutes more. Put the fried aubergines and the onion mix in a large pot (keep the frying pan for later), add the halved tomatoes and cook on a medium heat for four minutes, until they're starting to soften. Measure a litre of water into a jug or pan and have it ready by the side of the stove. Add the rice and the final half-teaspoon of salt to the aubergine mix, stir in a third of the water, then leave it to bubble away on a medium heat for about eight minutes, until the rice has soaked up the liquid. Add another third of the water, cook for another eight minutes, so the rice sucks that up, too, then add the final slug of water and cook for a final five minutes – the rice should be soupy. Put two tablespoons of oil in the frying pan on a medium heat and, when it's very hot, add the mustard seeds, chillies and remaining curry leaves. Cook for two minutes, pour all over the rice and serve.
