Time: 15 minutes Serves: 4
Recipe By: Martha Rose Shulman
There are many versions of this cooked carrot salad throughout the Middle East and North Africa. This one, seasoned with lemon juice, cumin, garlic and olive oil, is always a crowd pleaser. You can eat this dish chilled, warm or room temperature – it’s great either way.
Ingredients
- 1 pound carrots, peeled and thinly sliced
- 3 to 4 TBSP extra virgin olive oil (to taste)
- 2 large garlic cloves minced with ¼ tsp salt
- Salt to taste
- ½ tsp freshly ground black pepper
- 1 tsp cumin seeds, toasted and ground (or just ground cumin)
- 2 to 3 TBSP fresh lemon juice
- ¼ cup parsley chopped
For the Garnish
- Sliced black olives
- 2 hard boiled eggs, cut into wedges (optional)
1. Place the carrots in a steamer above 1 inch of boiling water, cover and steam 5 to 8 minutes, until tender. Remove from the heat, rinse with cold water, and drain in a colander or on kitchen towels.
2. Heat 2 tablespoons of the olive oil in a large, heavy skillet and add the garlic and cumin (only if using whole seeds). Cook, stirring, for about 30 seconds, until the garlic smells fragrant, and stir in the carrots, pepper, and salt to taste. Stir together for a few minutes, until the carrots are nicely seasoned. Remove from the heat and stir in the lemon juice, remaining olive oil, and the parsley. Taste and adjust salt and lemon juice as desired. Transfer to a platter, and decorate with olives and hard-boiled eggs if desired. Serve at room temperature or chill if desired.
Tip
Advanced preparation: you can make this several hours before serving. The dish, without the lemon juice and parsley, will keep in the refrigerator for a couple of days. Just add the lemon juice and parsley before serving.