Turmeric is having a moment. And they say it is the next big thing in the food world, all the while I have still not gotten into fermenting yet and that is the current big thing. Recipes with turmeric abound in the food blog world and on Pinterest and we are told of it’s myriad of health benefits. Benefits that does not all seem to have been proven. But forgetting about all that, it is a root that not just adds a beautiful colour to a dish but also a delicious warm peppery note that both work so well with this recipe for Tandoori Roasted Carrots.
No longer just added to rice or curries, more and more interesting turmeric recipes are making their appearance. In fact I was surprised to learn that South Africa’s oldest rice dish is “yellow rice” also known as “funeral rice”. The name comes from the Dutch and Cape Malay tradition of serving yellow rice as part of the meal after a funerals. I don’t think we would dream of serving bobotie without a steaming bowl of yellow rice.
I was researching turmeric recipes for a feature I was working on and came across a recipe for Tandoori Carrots in an Epicurious roundup of turmeric recipes. I tweaked the recipe to my own taste and cut the spice mix called vadouvan of the original recipe and replaced it with a homemade tandoori spice mix. Store the leftover mix in an airtight container and use it to spice up roasted chicken, ground beef or grilled fish.
These carrots are delicious and elevated into something truly fantastic. The sweetness of the vegetable easily handles all the spice it is coated with as well as the splash of turmeric oil and look at the colour! Make sure you don’t leave any of the crunchy bits in the roasting tray. Those bits are packed with flavour so spoon it over the carrots for serving.
The lemony yoghurt dressing adds a lovely tang and if you are not a fan of coriander substitute it with some fresh chopped parsley, a herb I think we keep overlooking for adding fresh flavour to a dish.
Tandoori Roasted Carrots
Ingredients
- Tandoori Rub:
- 3 tbsp paprika
- 1 tbsp ground coriander
- 1 tbsp ground cumin
- 1 tbsp salt flakes
- 2 tsp ground black pepper
- 2 tsp sugar
- 2 tsp ground ginger
- 1 tsp ground turmeric
- ½ tsp ground cinnamon
- pinch of chilli flakes
- Roasted Carrots:
- 2 tbsp tandoori rub
- 2 cloves of garlic finely grated
- ½ cup full fat yoghurt
- 5 tbsp Baleia Extra Virgin Olive Oil
- salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 400 g baby carrots tops trimmed
- ¼ tsp ground turmeric
- 2 tbsp lemon juice
- coarsely chopped fresh coriander
- lemon wedges for serving
Instructions
- To make the rub:
- Mix all the ingredients, transfer to an airtight container and store at room temperature
- To roast the carrots:
- Preheat oven to 220 degrees C
- Mix the rub, half of the garlic, half of the yogurt and 3 tablespoons oil in a large bowl until smooth and season with salt and pepper
- Add the carrots and toss to coat
- Place the carrots in a single layer on a roasting tray and roast for 25 – 30 minutes, turning occasionally, until tender and slightly charred in spots
- While the carrots roast, heat the turmeric and remaining 2 tablespoons olive oil in a small skillet over medium-low heat, swirling until fragrant for about 2 minutes and remove from the heat
- Whisk the lemon juice, remaining garlic and yogurt and season with salt and pepper
- Place carrots (along with all the crunchy bits left on baking sheet) on a platter, drizzle with the yogurt mixture and turmeric oil and top with coriander
- Serve with the lemon wedges
** Disclaimer: Olive oil sponsored by Baleia Extra Virgin Olive Oil
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Merle Mosse
May 2, 2016
Great blog, thank you for giving me such interesting recipes to try. I wonder if I could use fresh turmeric in this recipe as I have a ready supply in my garden?
heinstirred
May 2, 2016
Hello Merle. Thank you! How lucky to have fresh turmeric growing in your garden. I am sure you can use the fresh – it is usually 3 tsp fresh for 1 tsp dry. So make the rub without the fresh and mix it in with the yoghurt rather than the dry spice. And it should work a charm heated with the oil. Hope you enjoy and let me know how it turns out.
Merle Mosse
May 3, 2016
Many thanks, will do!
Helen
May 2, 2016
Can’t wait to try this. I love cooking with Turmeric and I also haven’t gone down the fermented road yet.
heinstirred
May 2, 2016
I just think Kimchi and the lose interest very quickly Helen
Keith @ How's it Lookin?
May 2, 2016
They look great. I never had carrots like this, thanks for the idea
heinstirred
May 3, 2016
Pleasure Keith – hope you enjoy
Thalia @ butter and brioche
May 3, 2016
Love these carrots, and how charred they look. Lovely photography too!
heinstirred
May 3, 2016
Thank you Thalia. Very happy how the recipe turned out.
Claudia | The Brick Kitchen
May 4, 2016
Your tandoori rub is so packed with flavour! I just love how roasted carrots go all wrinkly and charred too 🙂
heinstirred
May 4, 2016
Thank you Claudia. Hope you enjoy
Sweet Potato Fries and Cilantro Yogurt Sauce
May 3, 2018
[…] is not to your taste. A delicious variation would be to use the tandoori spice mix of these Tandoori Roasted Carrots, one of the most popular recipes I have published to […]