Potato and Vegetable Pie (Moroccan Maakouda)

Maakouda is a Moroccan potato dish, served either as pie or as fritter, which became an everyday dish for Jews during Passover. Just like Ashkenazi potato kugel, maakouda is a staple of Passover for so many Jewish communities around the Diaspora.

2 lb golden potatoes, skin on, scrubbed
5 Tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil, divided
1 yellow onion, chopped
3 large carrots, peeled and diced
½ lb fresh or frozen green peas
2 tsp. kosher salt
½ tsp. turmeric
¼ tsp. black pepper, freshly ground
5 large eggs, separated

Preheat the oven to 425°F (220°C/200°C fan, Gas Mark 7). Spray a 9" round cake pan with oil and drizzle one Tbsp. olive oil at the bottom

Put the potatoes, skin on, in a medium pot and cover with cold water. Bring to boil over high heat, cover, lower the heat and cook until tender, about 25 minutes. Drain and transfer the potatoes to a large bowl. You can either remove potato skins or leave them on for a more rustic results. Mash the potatoes, making sure to leave small to medium chunks.

While the potatoes are cooking, put 3 Tbsp. olive oil in a pan over medium-high heat and sauté the onion and carrots until carrots are tender, about 8 minutes. Add green pea and sauté about 3 minutes longer (or 1 minute if you're using frozen peas.) Remove from the heat.

Add the carrot-pea mixture into the mashed potatoes and mix. Add salt, turmeric, black pepper and egg yolks and mix again.

Whip egg whites to form soft peaks and then fold gently into potato mixture. Transfer to the pan and drizzle a little olive oil on top.

Bake for 10 minutes, then reduce the heat to 350°F (180°C/160°C fan, Gas Mark 4) and bake for 30-35 minutes longer, until the top is golden and the pie is firm.

Let sit for 10 minutes, then slice and serve.