Houria is a great starter, but you can also serve it alongside North African meat dishes, like Lamb Tagine with Prunes (page 407) or Chicken and Lentil Tagine (page 284). It comes in many forms but always combines the sweetness of carrots with the typically earthy spices of North Africa. It’s best with cooked carrots, but if you’re in a hurry you can make it with raw carrots; see the variation. Julienning carrots for houria is easiest with a mandoline (see page 167); if you don’t have one, slice or chop them roughly.

　　

Ingredients

makes 4 servings

　　1 1/2 pounds carrots, julienned, sliced, or diced

　　2 garlic cloves, peeled

　　2 teaspoons sugar

　　Salt and black pepper to taste

　　2 teaspoons caraway seeds

　　1 teaspoon cumin seeds

　　1 teaspoon sweet paprika

　　2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

　　1 teaspoon Harissa (page 598) or cayenne to taste

　　12 good-quality black olives, pitted, optional

　　1/4 pound feta cheese, crumbled, optional

　　1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro leaves for garnish, optional

　　

Step 1

Put the carrots, garlic, sugar, salt, caraway, cumin, paprika, and oil in a wide skillet or saucepan; add just enough water to cover the carrots and turn the heat to medium-high. Bring to a boil and turn the heat to medium. Cook the carrots, stirring occasionally, until softened and most of the water has evaporated, about 15 minutes. Drain and transfer to a large bowl.

　　

Step 2

Remove and mince the garlic cloves. Return to the carrot mixture and toss with the harissa, along with more salt plus pepper to taste. Mix with the optional olives, feta, and/or cilantro and serve warm or at room temperature. (You can prepare the dish in advance and let sit for a few hours at room temperature or cover and refrigerate for up to a day; bring back to room temperature before serving.)

　　

Quick Carrot Salad

Step 3

Omit the garlic, sugar, and caraway seeds. Squeeze the juice of 1 lemon over the raw carrots and then toss with the cumin, paprika, oil, harissa, and salt to taste. Garnish with olives, feta, orange slices, or cilantro leaves—or not at all—and serve.

　　The Best Recipes in the World by Mark Bittman. © 2005 by Mark Bittman. Published by Broadway Books. All Rights Reserved.MARK BITTMAN is the author of the blockbuster The Best Recipes in the World (Broadway, 2005) and the classic bestseller How to Cook Everything, which has sold more than one million copies. He is also the coauthor, with Jean-Georges Vongerichten, of Simple to Spectacular and Jean-Georges: Cooking at Home with a Four-Star Chef. Mr. Bittman is a prolific writer, makes frequent appearances on radio and television, and is the host of The Best Recipes in the World, a 13-part series on public television. He lives in New York and Connecticut.