Plenty: Salatat Al Jazar (Spicy Moroccan Carrot Salad)

I got a ton of carrots in my CSA box, so it was time to do something about it. I found a nice recipe in Plenty for a Moroccan carrot salad that sounded spicy and delicious. Plus, it would get rid of a whole bag of carrots. That was a definite plus.  The ingredient list looks pretty long for a salad, but it's mostly the different spices. I had them all in my cabinet, so there wasn't really anything to search for. All I had to find at the store was some Greek yogurt.

The salad smelled so good while I was cooking it that I actually started eating it warm. I know I was supposed to let it cool, but darn it, it just overwhelmed me. I threw some in a bowl and dropped some cold yogurt on top...and that is as good as it gets. So far so good with the veggie dishes, Chef Ottolenghi.

Salatat Al Jazar (Spicy Moroccan Carrot Salad)
From Plenty by Yotam Ottolenghi

2 pounds carrots
⅓ cup olive oil, plus extra to finish
1 onion, finely chopped
1 teaspoon sugar
3 garlic cloves, crushed
1 serrano chile, finely chopped (and seeded, if you want less heat)
1 green onion, finely chopped
⅛ teaspoon ground cloves
¼ teaspoon ground ginger
½ teaspoon ground coriander
¾ teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon sweet paprika
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 tablespoon white wine vinegar
1 tablespoon chopped preserved lemon
Kosher salt
2½ cups cilantro leaves, coarsely chopped, plus extra to garnish
½ cup Greek yogurt, chilled

Peel the carrots and cut them, depending on their size, into cylinders or semicircles one-half-inch thick; all the pieces should end up roughly the same size. Place in a large saucepan and cover with salted water. Bring to a boil, then turn down the heat and simmer until tender but still crunchy, about 10 minutes. Drain in a colander and leave to dry out.

Heat the oil in a large pan and sauté the onion over medium heat until soft and slightly brown, about 12 minutes. Add the cooked carrots to the onion, followed by the sugar, garlic, chile, onion, cloves, ground ginger, coriander, cinnamon, paprika, cumin, vinegar and preserved lemon.

Remove from the heat. Season liberally with salt, stir well and leave to cool.

Before serving, stir in the cilantro, taste and adjust the seasoning if necessary. Serve in individual bowls with a dollop of yogurt, a drizzle of oil and a garnish of the extra cilantro.

Makes 4 servings