Last year, as part of my trip to Greece, I also made a side trip to visit the enchanting city of Istanbul (Constantinople).
I went to visit this great city as a Greek, as a lover of travel, culture, history and to sample the local cuisine.
Much like the Greeks, Turks also enjoy sampling an array of appetizers (mezedes) as part of the long course of eating, drinking and talking.
One of the dips that I tried and very much enjoyed was this carrot dip. I was drawn to trying it because I’ve never had it and the brilliant orange piqued my curiousity.
This dip is carrot heavy but that’s okay. This root vegetable is a biennial plant, they can be eaten raw, boiled, roasted, grated, fried, juiced, steamed or most importantly – essential for a good stock.
Carrots get their orange colour from beta-carotene which is then metabolized by humans into Vitamin A. Carrots are my entry for this week’s Weekend Herb Blogging, founded by Kalyn of Kalyn’s Kitchen and hosted this time ’round by Claudia of Fool For Food.
This carrot dip celebrates the carrot in it’s brilliant colour and flavour. Make no doubt, carrot is the dominant flavour here but I’ve given this dip a nice kick that I’m sure will be a hit at your next party.
I’ve tweaked the classic Turkish recipe by adding cumin and some Harissa. I think my instincts were “bang on” as I was also told by a recent aquaintence that the Turks have condiment that’s similar to Harissa called “biber salçası”.
With this carrot dip, you’ll first notice the sweetness of the carrot but the tart strained Greek yogurt along with the Harissa and cumin will balance off the flavour and make this quite the savory dip.
Finally, do garnish this dip with black olives…they serve more than just as a garnish. Scoop some dip with pita bread, take a bite and then have a bite of the black olive. The sweet carrot and salty olive play off well against each other.
Carrot Dip (Yoghurtlu Havuc)
6 carrots
2 Tbsp. olive oil
1 small onion, diced
2 cloves garlic, smashed
1 clove garlic, minced
1 tsp. ground cumin
1 tsp. Harissa paste
300gr. strained Greek yogurt
Pinch of salt
Black olives
extra-virgin olive oil for garnish
sweet paprika for garnish
- Coarsely grate the carrots and cook in a skillet along with the olive oil, onion and smashed garlic until just softened (about 5-7 minutes). Remove from pan and set aside to cool.
- Meanwhile, grate the remaining clove of garlic into the yogurt, add salt, cumin and mix well.
- Add cooked carrot mixture (mash garlic with a fork) and stir to combine.
- Garnish with olives, sweet paprika and a little drizzle of extra-virgin olive oil.
25 Responses
I think your instincts were right with the addition of the harissa for a boost to this colourful dip!
Boy, oh boy, that looks good! I’ll have to make some more harissa soon, I have chilli peppers to spare!
I loved all the photos! My inlaws stayed with a family there recently and had a fabulous time, they said the food was really good!
And in other news, Lisa and I have started a blog event called No Croutons Required. Have a look and tell me what you think, Peter!
That looks really orange. It visually reminds me of something I can’t quite put my finger on…
….nacho cheese dip! But much more sophisticated. I love pairing different members of the Apiaceae. They play so nicely together.
ps, I have added you to my favourite blogs! It had to be done, who wouldn’t love a man who loves Halloumi!
This looks just fantastic. I love the sound of harissa with the carrots, and carrots and cumin are one of my favorite combinations. I think I have everything except Greek yogurt, and that is already on my shopping list.
BTW, I am dying to go to Turkey. I hear the architecture there is just amazing. (Now don’t get offended Peter, because I’ve already been to Greece! Of course I’d love to go there again too since I only went to Athens.)
I love carrots and I love creamy dips – looks excellent!
Oh wow…this looks so good. I’ll have to add it to my menu at my next party.
I have heard of this appetizer before but have never tried it. This is something I should definitely try.
Wow, look at all those fabulous spices!
This sounds fantastic and are you holding that bit of carrot dip for me to try? :)
I made my patitsio last night, a bit of a nightmare as first attempt of making white sauce was a failure. I ended up with a very flat Patitsio but rather tasty! Will share with all tomorrow. :)
Val, the carrot was too sweet by itself, the harissa fixed that issue.
Holler, when my tube of harissa is done, I will make my very own batch.
Heather, thank you for teaching the new $10 word of the day (Apiaceae).
Kalyn, go to Istanbul…it’s breathtaking and a great city for food.
Alejandra, welcome to the blog, visit often.
Pixie, you’ll have to wait for my next batch of carrot dip.
Do I get a slab of your Pastitsio?
I must say I’m not very into dips :)) but your carrot dip and Kalyn’s greek yogurt and cottage cheese dip with dill are really starting to change my habbits.
Thanks for the recipe, just so creamy-yummy!
Oh! Have never tried it with harissa/or similar to biber salçası. I do wonder the taste now! Thanks Peter :)
By the way is Greek yogurt different than the yogurt we have here?
Harissa and carrot and spice. I’ll have to try this one. Delicious!
After the previous post, I bet this looks and tastes like you’re eating sunshine. :)
Looks like a really interesting dip. Different, that’s for sure. And there you go with that harissa again! What a great spice shop picture. I can only dream of finding something like that where I live!
The colour of this dip is fantastic – it it a burst of sunshine in all that snow!
I love the sound of this. I just bought 5 lbs of carrots (why would I do this?) without having any plans of actually doing anything with them. Like manna from heaven this is. :)
That looks different. I never had this before.
Lore, I’m glad you’re giving dips another go, they are great appetizers.
Bal, Greek yogurt is traditionally from sheep’s milk and it’s strained, thicker than the Turkish variety I tried.
Recipegirl, give the carrot dip a chance. I too was iffy but the taste and colour won me over.
Annemarie, go nuts with the carrots and as a bonus, where a bunny outfit like Bridget Jones! lol
Oh, does that dip look delicious, Peter. And I just love the pics of the market. Wish I could mill around there this afternoon.
Oh my goodness that looks just beautiful!
I see… Turkish yogurt mostly made with cows’ milk. Thanks for the information Peter.
This looks wonderful Peter. I’ve always wanted to go to Istanbul. Did you fly from Athens or Thessaloniki??
I like anything with carrots, this is a new idea for me.
That’s a really interesting idea Peter. Last year, I got so sick of carrots that I had to remove them from my weekly vegetable box order. I just couldn’t take any more! This recipe is new to me however and I really want to give it a try. Could you have revived my interest in the humble carrot?