Roasted Rainbow Carrots with Dukkah

Prep time: 5 min

Cook time: 25 min

Servings: 4

They’re tasty all on their own, but beyond delicious coated in nutty, crunchy Egyptian dukkah, piled on a bed of cooling, creamy garlicky yogurt and finished with a sprinkling of fresh mint. 

Ingredients 

2 bunches rainbow carrots

1 tbsp olive oil

sea salt and black pepper, to taste

1/4 cup dukkah, homemade

1/2 cup greek yogurt

1 garlic clove, finely minced

1/4 cup mint leaves, chopped

Dukkah Seasoning

1/2 cup hazelnuts

3 tbsp almonds

4 tbsp white sesame seeds

3 tbsp shelled pistachios

1 tbsp fennel seeds

1 tsp ground cumin

1 tsp ground coriander

1/2 tsp cayenne pepper

kosher salt

Directions

Get ready. Position a rack in the middle of your oven and preheat to 400°F. Line a sheet pan with aluminum foil.

Season the carrots. Place the carrots on the sheet pan and drizzle with olive oil (about 1 tablespoon). Sprinkle with a good pinch of salt and pepper and use your hands to rub the oil into the carrots, making sure they’re well coated and seasoned all over. Space apart on the sheet pan so they’re not touching, but leave a little room at one side for the dukkah later.

Roast the carrots. Place the carrots in the preheated oven and roast for 15 minutes. Use a pair of tongs to flip them so the other side is touching the hot pan. Roast until they’re deeply brown and charred at the tip, 10 to 15 minutes more.

Toast the dukkah. Turn off your oven and spread the dukkah on the sheet pan where you left the gap. Toast in the oven for just about a minute or so–you want it to get nice and fragrant, but take it out before the sesame seeds burn. Remove from the oven, then use tongs to turn the carrots in the dukkah, coating them all over. You can also fold the foil at two sides towards the center and shake to coat. Set aside to cool just a bit while you make the garlicky yogurt.

Make the garlicky yogurt. In a small bowl, mix the Greek yogurt with the garlic and a pinch of salt.

Finish and serve. Spread the garlicky yogurt on your serving platter, using a spoon to make swoops. Drizzle with olive oil, then top with the roasted carrots. Sprinkle on the mint and serve.

How to make the Dukkah seasoning

Place the hazelnuts and almonds in a dry cast iron pan (do NOT add oil). Toast briefly over medium-high heat, tossing regularly, until the nuts gain some color (watch for nuts to turn a nice golden brown). Transfer to a side dish for now.

Place the sesame seeds in the same skillet and return to the heat. Toast over medium heat, tossing regularly, until the sesame seeds turn golden brown (this will be fairly quick so watch carefully).

Add the toasted nuts and sesame seeds to the bowl of a small food processor fitted with a blade. Add the pistachios, fennel seeds, spices, and a generous dash of kosher salt. Pulse for a few seconds until you reach a nice coarse mixture (Do not over process the dukkah. The mixture should not be too fine. See photos and video for exact texture).

Transfer the dukkah to a bowl to serve. Add a small bowl of extra virgin olive oil and your favorite bread for dipping (I like pita bread or even Jerusalem bagel). You can also store the dukkah in a tight-lid jar for up to 2 weeks to use as a topping for salad, soup, chicken, meats, or roasted vegetables!