Havuç Tarator

Havuç Tarator is a creamy Turkish mezze made with tender carrots, yogurt, and garlic. Light yet flavorful, it strikes the perfect balance between refreshing and savory, making it an easy side dish or appetizer that pairs beautifully with grilled dishes, warm bread, or a spread of small plates.

Prep Time15minutes mins
Cook Time5minutes mins
Servings: 6

Ingredients

• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 3 medium carrots (grated on the coarse side of a box grater)
• 1 large garlic clove (crushed)
• 500 g Greek yoghurt
• 30 grams walnuts (coarsley crushed)
• 1/2 tsp Salt
• 1 tsp Pul Biber or Aleppo Pepper (red pepper flakes)
• Squeeze or 2 of fresh lemon juice

To garnish

• Pul Biber or Aleppo Pepper
• Olive oil (to drizzle on top)
• Walnuts halves

Instructions

• Place a frying pan on a medium-high heat and add olive oil. Once the oil starts to glisten, add grated carrot. Then add crushed garlic and stir until the carrot wilts and the garlic is evenly distributed – this should only take a few minutes. Turn off the heat and let the carrot mixture cool.
• Take a bowl, add yoghurt, grated carrot, crushed walnuts, lemon juice, salt, Pul Biber and stir. Taste and adjust seasoning or other flavours as desired.
• Cover the bowl and leave in the fridge for the flavours to intensify and mix well through the yoghurt (no less than 1 hour).
• When you are ready to serve the dip, drizzle some olive oil on top and decorate with walnuts and a sprinkle of Pul Biber. Serve as part of a mezze-style spread of dishes, or as an appetiser.