Cooking Mom Ballpark

Taste North African cuisine

For this edition of Cooking Mom, Ballpark dives into North African cuisine. By cooking together, you gain access to personal stories, family, and cultural heritage. Cooking Mom is a personal workshop where food, memories, and family stories come together. Guest chef Kaoutar Gadir and her sister Narjisse share their favorite recipes and the memories connected to them. You not only learn to cook but also taste the stories, traditions, and love passed down through the dishes.

Harira: a flavorful family story

At the center of attention is Kaoutar's mother's harira: a typical Moroccan meal soup with coriander, tomato, and chickpeas. This harira is entirely plant-based. Kaoutar calls harira one of her comfort foods. It is warm, nutritious, and the aroma reminds her of home. She learned the recipe from her mother and makes the harira mainly during the colder months, or after a long day when she craves something warm. During Ramadan, harira is often eaten to break the fast. An important ingredient is nahnah l'harira, a specific type of mint that her father cultivated. Her mother dried the mint and used it in the soup, which gives the harira a characteristic, spicy flavor. Together, Kaoutar and Narjisse share their mother's recipe and the flavors and memories associated with it.