Moroccan chickpea stew with six vegetables/Moroccan bread

I tried out my first two recipes from World Vegetarian by Madhur Jaffrey: Moroccan chickpea stew with six vegetables and Moroccan bread.



Oh, my lord, was it good. Sweet, spicy, hearty, deep. The bread was incredible, too: chewy and a tad yeasty, just how I like it. The bread's quite interesting in that it uses half white and half semolina flour. I didn't make the chili sauce that traditionally accompanies the stew, but just added some crushed red pepper flakes instead.

This cookbook is incredible. Madhur Jaffrey covers the history and tradition behind the recipes, adding her own personal touch (such as saying "this is my favorite" or "I love this"), and - the best part - suggesting things to accompany the dishes. She doesn't stop at "serve with rice," but suggests several complementary dishes from the book, which really encourages the expansion of one's horizons, and integrates the recipes with each other, creating a coherent whole.

I almost want to do the Julie & Julia thing, but with this book.

Verdict: 5 stars