Moroccan-style Carrot Salad

I have been making this salad on rotation for years. In between finishing university and going to cookery school I spent several years teaching English in Madrid. There is a falafel chain in Spain (elsewhere too) called Maoz that serve a carrot salad along these lines that I have been hooked on since the first bite.  I frequented it a lot during my Madrid years when I needed a break from jamón, and once I left I started making it for myself.

Steaming is a great way to cook carrots - it intensifies their sweetness. Once they are done and still piping hot, you toss them in olive oil spiced with ground cumin and minced garlic. The heat of the carrots both cooks the garlic and cumin, making them perfectly fragrant. Dressing them while still hot also means they soak up maximum flavour from the dressing.

As with all cooking, and especially recipes with few ingredients, quality counts. If you have one, use a pestle and mortar to grind your cumin seeds. It makes a big difference to the end result.

I find this salad so rich in flavour, that when you build meals around it, you don’t need much else. I tend to add some leafy greens, a grain, some hummus, boiled eggs, tinned tuna or another protein to turn it into a hearty salad.

You will need a steamer basket to make this salad.

Serves: 4-5, as a side

Ingredients

500g carrots, peeled and cut into rounds

1 clove garlic, minced

3 teaspoons ground cumin (if grinding your own, 2 tsp of cumin seeds will yield about 3tsp of ground cumin)

2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

Juice of half a lemon

30g flat-leaf parsley, finely sliced

Bring a wide, shallow pot of water to a boil. Place a steamer basket over the water (it should be just over the surface). Fill with the sliced carrots and cover. Allow to steam for 10-12 minutes, until fork tender. (Keep an eye on it during cooking to make sure the water doesn’t evaporate).

While the carrots are steaming, place the garlic, cumin, olive oil, and a pinch of fine salt into a mixing bowl. Stir to combine.

As soon as the carrots are done, spoon them into the mixing bowl and toss in the spiced oil. Set aside to cool.

Once cool, juice over the lemon and stir through the parsley. Add salt to taste.

This keeps well in the fridge for about 3 days.