Moroccan Chickpea Stew

Heat the olive oil in a large pot over medium heat, then add the onion and carrots and cook for 6-7 minutes until softened.
Add the garlic and ginger and stir for 1 minute until fragrant.
Add the cumin, cinnamon, coriander, turmeric, and cayenne, and stir constantly for 1 minute to toast the spices; they should smell very fragrant but should not smoke or blacken.
Add the chickpeas, diced tomatoes, vegetable broth, dried apricots, and sweet potato, stirring to combine.
Bring the pot to a boil, then reduce heat to a gentle simmer and cover partially.
Cook for 25-30 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the sweet potato is completely fork-tender with no firm center; test by piercing a piece with a knife, which should meet no resistance.
If the stew is too thick at this point, stir in an extra 1/2 cup of broth or water.
Stir in the chopped kale and cook for 3-4 minutes until wilted and tender but still bright green.
Season with salt to taste, keeping in mind the stew should taste warmly spiced and slightly sweet from the apricots, balanced by the tomatoes.
Ladle into bowls and top with fresh cilantro before serving.

Toast the ground spices in the oil for a full minute before adding liquid; this blooms their flavor far more than simply simmering them in broth.

Cut the sweet potato pieces uniformly small, about 3/4-inch cubes, so they finish cooking at the same time instead of some pieces being mushy while others stay hard.