04/08/2026
Tonight's ABC RADIO RECIPES AUG 4th 2026
Ras el Hanout Chickpea and Spinach Stew By Nargisse Benkabbou NYT
INGREDIENTS
2 tablespoons olive oil, plus more to
serve
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 ¼ teaspoons ras el hanout (see
Tip)
3 tablespoons tomato paste
1 cup vegetable stock, plus more if
needed
1 tablespoon soy sauce
Fine sea salt
3 (15-ounce) cans chickpeas,
rinsed
5 cups/5 ounces packed spinach
leaves (stemmed and roughly torn if large)
½ cup Greek yogurt or lemon wedges (optional), for serving
Crusty bread, couscous, bulgur or rice, for serving
FOR THE HARISSA OIL (OPTIONAL)
3 tablespoons olive oil
1 tablespoon harissa paste
PREPARATION
Step 1
Prepare the stew: Heat the olive oil in a large pot over medium. Add the garlic and ras el hanout and stir until fragrant, about a minute. Add the tomato paste and cook, stirring constantly until the tomato paste darkens slightly in color, about 2 minutes.
Step 2
Add the stock, soy sauce and ½ teaspoon salt and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to medium-low, cover and cook for 10 minutes, until the sauce slightly darkens in color and its flavors have
melded.
Step 3
Add the chickpeas and simmer until they are warm and soft, about 10 minutes. Add the spinach and stir until wilted and fully incorporated into the stew, about 3 minutes. Taste and adjust
seasoning with more salt if needed. If the stew starts getting too thick, feel free to add a few more spoonfuls of stock or water.
Step 4
If using, make the harissa oil: In a small bowl, mix together the olive oil and harissa until well incorporated.
Step 5
Serve the stew warm, with a dollop of Greek yogurt or lemon wedges on the side, and a drizzle of olive oil (or harissa oil), if desired. Enjoy with crusty bread or over grains like couscous,
bulgur or rice.
**TIP**
Ras el hanout is widely available online and in larger grocery stores. If you’d like to make your own, stir together the following ingredients: 1 teaspoon each ground turmeric, ground coriander,
ground ginger, ground cumin, ground cardamom and ground nutmeg, plus ½ teaspoon each ground aniseed, ground caraway seeds, ground fennel, ground cloves and ground black pepper. (This
blend makes about 3 tablespoons ras el hanout.)
Frosted Carrot Cake With Ras el Hanout By Nargisse Benkabbou NYT
FOR THE CAKE
⅔ cup/160 grams vegetable oil, plus more for greasing the pan
1 ½ cups/180 grams all-purpose flour
1 ½ teaspoons ras el hanout
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
½ teaspoon fine sea salt
1 cup/200 grams light or dark brown sugar
3 large eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 ½ cups/150 grams freshly grated carrots (from 2 medium carrots, using the large holes of a box grater)
½ cup/60 grams chopped walnuts or pecans
FOR THE FROSTING
1 cup/120 grams powdered sugar, sifted
4 ounces/113 grams full-fat cream cheese (8 tablespoons), at room temperature
½ teaspoon vanilla extract
Preparation
Step 1
Make the cake: Heat the oven to 350 degrees. Grease a 9-by-5-inch loaf pan with oil and line it with parchment paper, leaving an overhang on the two long sides to make it easy to lift the loaf out of the pan.
Step 2
Add the flour, ras el hanout, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon and salt to a medium bowl and whisk to combine.
Step 3
Whisk together the brown sugar and eggs in a large bowl until well combined. Add the oil and vanilla and whisk to blend. Add the dry ingredients and fold them in with a rubber spatula just until you no longer see specks of flour. (Make sure not to overmix the batter, or the cake will be dense.) Add the carrots and walnuts and mix until just combined.
Step 4
Scrape the batter into the prepared pan. Bake for 50 to 55 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out with only some small, moist crumbs, and the cake is deep golden brown. (If the cake starts to brown too much before it is fully baked, tent it loosely with foil.) Transfer the pan to a wire rack and allow to cool completely, then use the parchment overhang to lift the cake from the pan.
Step 5
While the cake cools, make the frosting: Add the powdered sugar, cream cheese and vanilla to a small bowl and mix with a flexible spatula until well combined and smooth.
Step 6
Pour the frosting over the cooled cake and use a large spoon to spread it so it runs down the sides of the cake a bit. Let sit for 30 minutes to 1 hour to allow the frosting to firm up a bit before serving.
Butternut Squash Congee With Chile Oil By Hetty Lui McKinnon NYT
Ingredients
2 tightly packed cups leftover medium- or long-grain rice (preferably refrigerated)
1 tablespoon neutral oil (such as canola)
1 teaspoon sea salt
6 cups vegetable stock
4-8 garlic cloves, peeled and crushed
500- 700gr butternut squash, peeled, seeded and diced in 1-inch pieces
1 small piece kombu (optional)
2 scallions, finely sliced
Chile oil or chile crisp, for serving
Step 1
Place the rice, oil and salt in a large pot and stir to combine, breaking up any clumps of rice. Add the vegetable stock, garlic, butternut squash and kombu (if using). Bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Once it boils, reduce heat to low, cover and simmer for 30 minutes.
Step 2
Uncover and stir. Increase heat to medium and simmer for another 5 to 10 minutes, until the rice has broken down.
Step 3
Turn off heat and discard any larger pieces of seaweed, though it is fine to leave them in. Using a wooden spoon, stir vigorously to break up the rice, butternut and garlic. Some of the butternut will stay intact, while some of it will break apart and impart a beautiful golden hue to the dish. Add salt to taste.
Step 4
To serve, top with scallions, and a few drops of chile oil or crisp.
Smashed Roasted Carrots By Melissa Clark NYT (KILLER with PARSNIPS)
Ingredients
1 Kilo carrots, trimmed and scrubbed, large carrots sliced lengthwise into approximately 1-inch-thick pieces
2 tablespoons neutral oil, such as grapeseed or safflower, or peanut oil
2 teaspoons fine salt, plus more as needed
2 tablespoons black vinegar or rice vinegar, plus more to taste
1 ½ tablespoons soy sauce, plus more to taste
1 tablespoon toasted sesame oil
2 teaspoons dark brown sugar, plus more to taste
2 teaspoons freshly grated ginger
2 garlic cloves, finely grated or minced
¾ cup coarsely chopped coriander leaves and tender stems, plus more for garnish if desired
⅔ cup coarsely chopped roasted peanuts, for garnish
Chile oil or chile crisp, for serving
Preparation
Step 1
Heat the oven to 205 degrees C. Place carrots on a rimmed sheet pan, and toss with oil and salt. Roast until tender and caramelized, about 10 to 14 minutes.
Step 2
Remove carrots from the oven. Using the bottom of a glass measuring cup or a heavy mug, lightly press carrots to flatten slightly and smash. (This will create texture when broiling.) Heat broiler, and broil carrots until charred in spots, 2 to 4 minutes.
Step 3
While the carrots are roasting, make the dressing: In a small bowl, combine vinegar, soy sauce, sesame oil, brown sugar, ginger and garlic. Whisk until combined, then taste and add more vinegar, soy sauce or brown sugar, if needed.
Step 4
Pour dressing over charred carrots and toss to combine. Add coriander and toss. Serve with chopped peanuts and chile oil or crisp, and more cilantro if you’d like.
