Smashed Carrots & Coriander Pistachio Pesto

Carrots Get a Glow Up (Noor Murad/ Ottolenghi Recipe).

(GF/VG)

Carrots don’t have to be basic.

I saw this recipe on @noorishbynoor and @ottolenghi’s IG stories. I realised I had all the ingredients, so I made it the other day.

EVERYTHING about this recipe is on point. From the roasted maple syrup carrots, pickled onions to coriander pistachio pesto, it’s a fresh new way to play with veggies.

I also made some zucchini, carrot and garlic bites. Blended the ingredients with some oats, flaxseed ‘egg’ (1 part flaxseeds, 3 parts hot water) and baked for 30 mins.

So here is the recipe for the Smashed Carrots, however to follow @noorishbynoor for the original recipe:

Ingredients

• 1kg of carrots (peeled and microwaved in water to soften)

• Coriander Seeds

• 6 Garlic Cloves

• Fresh Coriander

• Spring Onion

• Pistachios

• 1 Lime

• Chilli flakes

• Maple Syrup

• 1/2 Red Onion

• Greek Yoghurt (to serve)

Spices and Condiments

• Olive Oil, Tumeric, Cumin, S&P.

Method

1.PICKLE chopped red onions but placing them in a small bowl and with lime juice. Let this sit while you prepare the below.

Roasting Carrots nb.There are 3 rounds of roasting the carrots.

2. (ROUND 1) CUT 5 carrots and place in a large oven dish . Add 200ml water, 4 tablespoons of olive oil and turmeric. Roast for 20 mins on 180 fan setting.

3. (ROUND 2) TURN the carrots over, add 6 garlic gloves, coriander seeds, cumin and chilli flakes. Roast for another 20 mins.

4. (ROUND 3) ADD some maple syrup and roast for 10 mins on 220deg fan setting. Then remove and smash with a fork right away whilst it’s still hot.

Round 2: After 20 minutes.

Round 3: After 50 minutes of roasting, it’s time to smash it up!

5. PESTO: Blend a handful of coriander, pistachios, spring onion, 1 garlic clove (although, I added 3 more because I love garlic), S&P and some olive oil. Place it in a bowl and pour extra olive oil to serve if desired.

6. YOGHURT: Squeeze 1/2 a lime and mix it in with a small bowl of greek yoghurt.

7. PLATE: On a medium sized plate, start with the carrots as the base. Make a swirl with the pesto first, followed by yoghurt. Then sprinkle the onions on top. You might not use all the toppings but you can always add more to individual plates.

Pickled onions, coriander pistachio, yoghurt with lime juice.

Plating it up

This is honestly such a hit and I can’t wait to share it with friends once lockdown in Singapore is over. It’s a great mezze to share or even as a side for seafood dishes. Enjoy!

Tips

• Peel the skins off the carrots and make sure to microwave them before roasting. This will soften before roasting and it will make it easier to smash with your fork.

• Use a large oven dish so the juices seep into all the carrots.

• If you want to go vegan, skip the yoghurt and blend cashews to make ‘vegan cheese’ on top.

• Try not to skimp out on the coriander seeds they really pack a punch to the dish. If you don’t have any, fennel seeds are a good substitute.

• I like to add maple syrup on Round 3 of roasting the carrots, although you can use honey as a substitute too.