Moroccan spiced carrot salad (Khizzou mchermel)

1. Peel the carrots and cut into finger-thick sticks or thick rounds.

2. Bring the water to the boil in a pot, salt it, add the carrots and the whole peeled garlic cloves and cook for 8-10 minutes until the carrots are tender but still slightly crunchy.

3. Drain, take out the garlic and mash it with a fork.

4. Mix the garlic with the cumin, paprika, lemon juice, olive oil, salt and pepper.

5. Toss the still-warm carrots in the dressing and stir in the finely chopped parsley.

6. Leave for at least 15 minutes, then serve at room temperature or cold.

Tip: This salad appears on almost every Moroccan welcome platter, next to zaalouk and taktouka. Don't overcook the carrots: the pleasant, slightly crunchy texture is the point. It keeps for 3 days in the fridge and only gets better as it sits.