Roasted Carrots With Harissa Aïoli and Dukkah — Another beautiful Christmas dinner recipe

I was pleasantly shocked by the deep red carrots that appear in the Indian bazaar every winter. I have since learnt that they are local seasonal carrots grown in Northern India. They are so much better than the regular orange carrots—crunchier, more intense in flavour, and more nutritious. I wanted to do something with these carrots. More on red carrots here.

This wonderful recipe combines roasted carrots with Mediterranean spices. The sweetness of the carrots is balanced by the spicy harissa aïoli, and the hazelnut dukkah adds a touch of luxury to the dish. This is a wonderful cookbook full of surprising recipes. The recipes are quite simple and always turn out beautifully. I love every recipe that I have made so far. The flavours are fantastic, and the dishes are always well-received by guests.

For more wonderful recipes from this cookbook, click here.

Dukkah Ingredients:

3 tablespoons whole hazelnuts, skin on

1 tablespoon sesame seeds, white or black, or a mix

2 teaspoons coriander seeds

1 teaspoon cumin seeds

Fine-grain sea salt

1 tablespoon black pepper

Roasted carrots

12 skinny carrots, trimmed of their tops and scrubbed clean

Extra-virgin olive oil

2 teaspoons honey

3/4 cup (180 g) Harissa Aïoli (recipe follows)

Harissa aïoli Ingredients 1/4 cup aïoli or mayonnaise

2-4 tablespoons ready harissa paste or sauce, or to taste

To make the harissa aïoli

Mix together well. Taste and adjust the flavour to your liking. I prefer it a touch spicy to balance the sweetness of the roasted carrots.

To make the dukkah: In a small skillet over medium heat, toast the hazelnuts until lightly golden and aromatic, shaking the pan often for about 2 minutes. Transfer the nuts to a small bowl and set aside. Repeat the process with the sesame seeds, coriander seeds, peppercorns, and cumin seeds, toasting each separately and allowing them to cool separately. Let cool completely.

Process the spices and nuts into an unevenly textured mix in a mortar and pestle or in a small food processor. I pulse each of the spices separately to control the coarseness of the notes and spices: the hazelnuts, half left whole and the other half finely ground, the peppercorns, coriander seeds and cumin ground cowardly. I prefer the coarse ground spices so that you get the occasional pop of flavour from each spice when eaten with the carrots. Season generously with salt.

NOTE: The dukkah can be made ahead and stored in an airtight container at room temperature for 3 days.

To roast the carrots:

On a sheet pan, toss the carrots with a light coating of olive oil and honey, some of the harissa aïoli so, then season with salt and pepper. Roast the carrots, turning once, until browned and tender, 15 to 20 minutes.

Arrange the carrots on a serving platter and sprinkle with as much dukkah as you'd like. Drizzle some aïoli on top or pass at the table.