Drain the chickpeas.

Peel and cut the carrots on the diagonal.

Peel and chop the onion and garlic cloves.

In a food processor, blend them with the parsley (or use fresh ginger, chili, and cilantro instead of parsley).

In a Dutch oven, heat 2 tablespoons olive oil and sauté the onion/garlic/parsley mixture for about 4 minutes.

Add the ground spices—ginger (skip if using fresh), cinnamon, cumin—plus the dates and tomato paste. Cook for 1 more minute.

Add the chickpeas and carrots.

Season with salt and pepper, then add enough water to cover.

Bring to a boil, then transfer to the oven at 350°F (180°C) for 1 to 1 1/2 hours, until the carrots and chickpeas are tender and the sauce has thickened.

Add the parsley and lemon juice and cook for 10 more minutes.

While the stew cooks, roughly crumble the feta and marinate it with the za’atar (or caraway), lemon zest, parsley, and 5 tablespoons olive oil (75 ml). Chill until ready to use.

Serve the stew hot with the marinated feta on top.

Popotte’s Tips:

In the original recipe, the chef uses 6 garlic cloves, 1 oz fresh ginger (25 g) instead of ground, 1 1/2 oz dates (45 g), 1/2 oz cilantro (15 g), 1 green chili, and finally, 1 teaspoon caraway seeds.