Moroccan Carrot Dip

When I was younger, my family used to go to this Moroccan restaurant.  They had really delicious food and every once in a while belly dancers would come out, and since I was a little kid they would always try to get me to dance with them.  Needless to say, belly dancing is not my thing.  Moroccan food is a different story.  One of the dishes we used to get was a bunch of different dips with pita bread, and one of those dips was this scrumptious carrot dip.  I've always wanted to try and re-create that dish, and today I finally did.  And man, is it good.  Not to mention that my house smells awesome from cooking it.

I found the recipe on A Thought for Food blog, and besides cutting the recipe in half I only made a few minor changes.

Pre-dip

Ingredients:

• 6 carrots, peeled and chopped into smallish pieces
• 2 Tbs olive oil
• Salt
• Pepper
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1/3 cup water
• 1/2 tsp cumin
• 1/2 tsp ginger
• 1/2 tsp coriander
• scant 1/2 tsp cinnamon
• smidgen (or more if you're into it) chili powder
• 1/2 Tbs vinegar
• Parsley 

Cooking!

Directions:

1. Heat about a tablespoon of olive oil in a saucepan over medium high heat.  Add in chopped carrots and a sprinkle of salt.
2. Cook for about 5 minutes until the carrots begin to soften.
3. Add in garlic, cumin, ginger, coriander, cinnamon, and chili powder.  Stir for about 30 seconds then add in the water, turn heat to low and cover.
4. Cook for 15-20 minutes, stirring occasionally, until carrots are soft and mashable.
5. When the carrots are cooked, remove from the heat and mash- leave a few carrot chunks for texture.  Add in the vinegar and about 1/2 Tbs olive oil.  Taste and adjust spices as necessary- don't be afraid of the bold flavor!
6. Put in a bowl and garnish with chopped parsley.  Bonus points if it's fresh!  If you have the willpower, let it cool before eating.
7. Serve with any kind of pita bread or chip.  I ate mine with Trader Joe's Black Bean and Quinoa Tortilla Chips.

So good.

Ta da! You're done.  Simple and delicious.  Of course if you're making this for a group, follow the original recipe instead of my halved version.  The carrots will cook down and make less than you originally think. Enjoy!