Carrot Salad With Cumin and Coriander

Published Nov. 3, 2021

Carrot Salad With Cumin and Coriander
David Malosh for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Simon Andrews.
Total Time
20 minutes
Rating
4(321)
Comments
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These lemony carrots taste lovely just as the recipe is written, perfumed with toasted cumin and coriander, a hint of garlic, and a touch of cayenne. This recipe draws its inspiration from Moroccan carrot salads, many of which use cooked vegetables, but this version uses slivered raw carrots instead. But if you want to splash out, try a pinch of cinnamon, and top with lots of fluffy chopped cilantro and thinly sliced jalapeño. Or add crumbled feta and olives. For the best-looking salad, use the julienne blade of a food processor, or cut the carrots into thin matchstick shapes with a sharp knife. The large holes of a box grater will work, too, but the result won’t be quite as attractive. (But avoid those supermarket bags of pre-grated carrots. They’re not suitable here.)

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Ingredients

Yield:4 to 6 servings
  • 1pound medium carrots, peeled and cut into thin matchsticks or grated
  • 3tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
  • 2tablespoons lemon juice (from 1 lemon)
  • 1small garlic clove, grated
  • ½teaspoon cumin seeds, toasted and ground
  • ½teaspoon coriander seeds, toasted and ground
  • Pinch of ground cayenne
  • Salt and pepper
  • 2tablespoons finely diced preserved lemon (optional)
  • Whole mint leaves, for serving
Ingredient Substitution Guide
Nutritional analysis per serving (6 servings)

96 calories; 7 grams fat; 1 gram saturated fat; 0 grams trans fat; 5 grams monounsaturated fat; 1 gram polyunsaturated fat; 9 grams carbohydrates; 2 grams dietary fiber; 4 grams sugars; 1 gram protein; 217 milligrams sodium

Note: The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.

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Preparation

  1. Step 1

    Put carrots in a medium bowl. Add olive oil, lemon juice, garlic, cumin, coriander and cayenne. Add salt and pepper to taste. Toss to coat. Taste, and adjust seasoning. Leave to marinate for 10 to 15 minutes. Transfer to a serving dish.

  2. Step 2

    To serve, sprinkle with preserved lemon, if you like, and garnish with mint leaves.

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Ratings

4 out of 5
321 user ratings
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Comments

Very nice dish. In western India, there is a simple salad with grated carrot, minced onion, lemon or lime juice, chopped cilantro, with salt, sugar (optional) and minced green chili to taste. (Some variants add chopped or powdered roasted peanuts.) In David's dish, the preserved lemon, garlic and mint leaves definitely work well.

I've been making something similar for years - simplicity is the key. Skip the garlic, seeds, cayenne, and expensive preserved lemon. Add pistachios or other chopped nuts (toasted or not), a pinch of ground coriander, let marinate and serve. Even tastes good the next day.

Didn’t have preserved lemon, so I doubled the lemon juice and added cilantro with the mint. It was so delicious I made it two nights in a row!

Grated the carrots, added sliced kalamata olives and crumbled goat cheese and sprinkled my serving with salted pistachios. Very good!!! Even the spouse who is not a raw carrot fan, liked it. It went beautifully with a grilled ribeye. Julienning the carrots would keep more of their sweetness and I'd chop the pistachios next time but this is a keeper.

I made it wit few adjustments & I love it 😍

I like it better if I cook the carrots briefly in a skillet, maybe two minutes, while stirring, over high heat. That takes away some of the crunch in the raw carrots, making it easier to eat. The cooking also sweetens the carrots.

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