This is one of many cooked vegetable dishes, known as ‘salads’ or ‘salatim,’ which my mother prepares every Friday for the Shabbat dinner. It’s actually the second-favorite dish after matbucha in our household. The term ‘salad’ might seem confusing for these cooked vegetable preparations, but this is the traditional term used by North African Jews in Israel, and we continue to use it now.

What I love about this recipe is that it is easy to make, requires only 3 ingredients, and takes about 10 minutes to prepare. However, the tricky part is that you must babysit the carrots while steaming them. Chill, we’re talking about 4 – 6 minutes, depending on the size of your carrots. Don’t let them overcook or undercook. They should be tender yet still have a bite. Though hard is better than soft. Now, it wouldn’t be the end of the world if you overcooked them – because you were scrolling down Instagram! – if you did, mash the salad and serve it as a dip.

You can make the harissa yourself or buy it on Amazon or at Middle Eastern stores. My harissa isn’t as spicy as most store-bought harissa. Before you add it to the salad, taste it to make sure it’s not too hot for you.