Persian New Year: Spiced Carrots with Yoghurt Dressing
Happy Persian New Year! A good opportunity to start afresh if 2017 hasn't began the way you would have liked but, arguably more importantly, it's the perfect time to enjoy some delicious Persian food. This dish is a real celebration of the best flavours of the Middle East and it is the perfect side dish to get any party started!
Even if you think you're not a carrot fan, prepared to be blown away by the bold and bright and beautiful flavours in this dish. Sweet, sticky dates, aromatic, toasted spices, a little kick of chilli, fresh, vibrant herbs, creamy yoghurt and a hint of orange blossom water to bring it all together.
Persian New Year: Spiced Carrots with Yoghurt Dressing
Serves 4, as a side
100g pitted dates, chopped
55ml carrot juice
2 tsp coriander seeds
1 tsp cumin seeds
12 green cardamom pods, crushed with the flat of a knife, pods discarded, seeds reserved
6 medium carrots, topped and tailed
4 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil, plus an extra drizzle
3 large garlic cloves, thinly sliced
1 red Thai or another small, hot chilli, thinly sliced
2 tsp sea salt flakes, plus extra to season
Small handful mint leaves
3 tbsp full-fat Greek yogurt
2 tsp orange blossom water or 1 tsp orange extract
Small handful fresh parsley, roughly chopped
Combine the dates and carrot juice in a small bowl and set aside. Combine the coriander and cumin seeds in a small pan, set the pan over a low-medium heat and cook for 5 minutes, shaking and tossing often, or until the spices are fragrant and lightly smoking. Transfer to a bowl or plate to cool slightly, then grind to a coarse powder in a pestle and mortar. Add the cardamom seeds and pound to a fine powder.
Starting at the tapered end of each carrot, cut a piece on the diagonal that’s about 2.5cm long, roll the carrot a quarter turn, then cut another piece at the same angle, and so on. Heat 3 tbsp of the oil in a medium pan (wide enough to hold the carrots snugly in more or less one layer) over a high heat until lightly smoking. Add the garlic and cook, stirring, for 1 minute or until it turns golden at the edges.
Add the carrots, chilli, ground spices and salt to the pan, then have a good stir. Cover the pan with a lid, lower the heat to medium and cook for 15 minutes, stirring and scraping the bottom occasionally, until the spices begin to catch on the base of the pan.
Add 100ml water, stir, then cover the pan again. Cook for another 20 minutes, stirring occasionally, or until the carrots are fully tender but not mushy. After around 10 minutes and occasionally thereafter, roughly stir for 30 seconds or so using a sturdy whisk or wooden spoon – you don’t want to smash the carrot pieces but just knock off some of the softened points. If, along the way, the carrots that end up stuck to the bottom of the pan start to turn dark brown, reduce the heat a little and add a bit more water.
Take the pan off the heat and stir in the remaining 1 tbsp oil. Roughly chop the mint leaves, then stir into the pan along with the Greek yogurt, orange blossom water, parsley and the soaked dates (including any remaining carrot juice). Taste and season with extra sea salt as needed then serve.
Even if you think you're not a carrot fan, prepared to be blown away by the bold and bright and beautiful flavours in this dish. Sweet, sticky dates, aromatic, toasted spices, a little kick of chilli, fresh, vibrant herbs, creamy yoghurt and a hint of orange blossom water to bring it all together.
Persian New Year: Spiced Carrots with Yoghurt Dressing
Serves 4, as a side
100g pitted dates, chopped
55ml carrot juice
2 tsp coriander seeds
1 tsp cumin seeds
12 green cardamom pods, crushed with the flat of a knife, pods discarded, seeds reserved
6 medium carrots, topped and tailed
4 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil, plus an extra drizzle
3 large garlic cloves, thinly sliced
1 red Thai or another small, hot chilli, thinly sliced
2 tsp sea salt flakes, plus extra to season
Small handful mint leaves
3 tbsp full-fat Greek yogurt
2 tsp orange blossom water or 1 tsp orange extract
Small handful fresh parsley, roughly chopped
Combine the dates and carrot juice in a small bowl and set aside. Combine the coriander and cumin seeds in a small pan, set the pan over a low-medium heat and cook for 5 minutes, shaking and tossing often, or until the spices are fragrant and lightly smoking. Transfer to a bowl or plate to cool slightly, then grind to a coarse powder in a pestle and mortar. Add the cardamom seeds and pound to a fine powder.
Starting at the tapered end of each carrot, cut a piece on the diagonal that’s about 2.5cm long, roll the carrot a quarter turn, then cut another piece at the same angle, and so on. Heat 3 tbsp of the oil in a medium pan (wide enough to hold the carrots snugly in more or less one layer) over a high heat until lightly smoking. Add the garlic and cook, stirring, for 1 minute or until it turns golden at the edges.
Add the carrots, chilli, ground spices and salt to the pan, then have a good stir. Cover the pan with a lid, lower the heat to medium and cook for 15 minutes, stirring and scraping the bottom occasionally, until the spices begin to catch on the base of the pan.
Add 100ml water, stir, then cover the pan again. Cook for another 20 minutes, stirring occasionally, or until the carrots are fully tender but not mushy. After around 10 minutes and occasionally thereafter, roughly stir for 30 seconds or so using a sturdy whisk or wooden spoon – you don’t want to smash the carrot pieces but just knock off some of the softened points. If, along the way, the carrots that end up stuck to the bottom of the pan start to turn dark brown, reduce the heat a little and add a bit more water.
Take the pan off the heat and stir in the remaining 1 tbsp oil. Roughly chop the mint leaves, then stir into the pan along with the Greek yogurt, orange blossom water, parsley and the soaked dates (including any remaining carrot juice). Taste and season with extra sea salt as needed then serve.
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