Vegetable Stew (Tangarat Khudar)

Tangarat Khudar is a North African vegetable stew that layers warm, fragrant spices over a hearty base of meat, chickpeas, and a whole garden of vegetables.

Cinnamon, coriander, and chili powder mingle with tomato concentrate and stock while carrots, potatoes, zucchini, fennel, and celery soften into a thick, soul-warming broth.

Noodles go in near the end to soak up all that spiced liquid, and a generous squeeze of lemon juice at the finish cuts through the richness with a bright, clean edge.

This is the kind of stew that fills the kitchen with a smell so good your neighbors will come knocking.

Kitchen Tips

• Soak the chickpeas overnight. There’s no shortcut here. Unsoaked chickpeas will stay gritty no matter how long you cook them.
• Fry the tomatoes separately in olive oil until they break down into a jam-like paste. That step builds a concentrated sweetness you can’t get by just dumping them in.
• Add lemon juice gradually at the end and taste as you go. You want brightness, not sourness.
• Fennel is the unexpected hero in this stew. It softens into a mild, anise-scented sweetness that pairs beautifully with the cinnamon.