A new healthy way to enjoy carrots: Indian spiced roasted carrots with 5-minutes cashew feta dip. Flavorful, unusual and easy-to-make. Vegan recipe provided!
Let me ask you a question about carrots. How do you usually eat them? Add in salads/soups/vegetable casseroles/side dishes, eat raw, squeeze juice from them? Carrots don’t normally play the main role in dishes. Well, carrot cake is quite famous (or less famous but equally good carrot bites) but again, how many ingredients are there besides carrots? Most of the times they are grinded, chopped, sliced, pureed, or eaten raw as a snack. You rarely eat them whole. Here is an alternative way for you to enjoy your carrots: you can roast them with Indian spices and make a 5-minutes cashew feta dip. I used organic spices that I highly recommend.
It’s not as boring for your taste buds as raw carrots, it’s incredibly easy to make, it’s healthy, it’s extremely flavorful and it’s a whole new way to eat carrots! They taste way more intense and flavorful that way than as a background vegetable in chili, for example. On one hand, they are still carrots, naturally sweet and tender after roasting, on the other hand, crunchy and the spicy surface tastes unusual. This combination of sweet and spicy makes them so special. You can easily eat 5-6 carrots that way, but how many can you eat raw? 
Carrots are rich in carotene (vitamin A), calcium, potassium, iron, iodine, phosphorus, manganese, magnesium, let alone vitamin E, B, D and C. They boost your metabolism, improve digestion and strengthen the body. You know that carrots are good for your health but to make the most out of them you should consume them with healthy fats like vegetable oils. Roasting is a right thing to do with carrots. You can make this dish vegan by substituting coconut milk and flakes for the feta-Greek yogurt mixture in a dip. I like both dips as they are perfect for these spicy carrots: creamy enough to set off the taste of spicy and sweet carrots and flavorful enough to taste great by themselves. 
The first time I tried this recipe, I seriously underestimated the amount of dip needed. I immediately prepared the second portion and never made the same mistake again. There should be enough dip for all roasted carrots! In the recipe below you will find the “right” measures although you might still feel like making a second bunch of it. Follow your instinct! It’s truly a hit. I included both vegetarian and vegan versions, so that you can choose whatever suits you better. You are also free to decide if these roasted carrots are an entree, a side dish or a main course. I’d be brave enough to say that they deserve to be a main course. Don’t you feel bad for carrots always being in the shadow of other food? I gave them their moment of glory and I am overwhelmed by the result. Check the recipe below and enjoy your carrots!
How to Make Roasted Carrots with Indian Spices and Cashew Feta Dip
Roasted Carrots with Indian Spices and Cashew Feta Dip
Ingredients
For the carrots:
- 10-12 medium-sized carrots
- 1 teaspoon coriander
- 1/2 teaspoon fenugreek seeds
- 1/2 teaspoon ground paprika
- 1/2 teaspoon garam masala
- 2 teaspoons honey
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 2 cloves garlic
- 6 leaves sage
- 2 teaspoons grinded fresh ginger
- salt
- black pepper
For the cashew feta dip:
- 100 grams or 1 cup cashew nuts
- 80 grams or 3 oz feta cheese or 5 tablespoons ground coconut
- 1 clove garlic
- 5-6 tablespoons Greek yogurt or coconut milk
- salt
- black pepper
Instructions
To make the roasted carrots:
- Preheat the oven to 180 ºC or 355 ºF.
- Wash your carrots. If you have young carrots, they don't need to be peeled. Otherwise, peel them. I left small tail leaves, as they are beautiful and give their flavor while roasting. Cut each carrot in halves lengthwise.
- Over medium-high heat, dry-roast coriander, fenugreek seeds in a pan for about 1 minute or until aromatic. Process in a spice grinder or use a mortar and a pestle to make powder. Chop garlic and sage. In a bowl, combine coriander and fenugreek powder with paprika, garam masala, honey, olive oil, ginger, salt and pepper.
- Put carrots in a baking dish and pour the spicy mixture over them. Massage it into carrots until they are evenly coated. Put them in the oven for 30-40 minutes. The smaller your carrots are, the less time they need. If you like them to be more tender and caramelized, give them more time. Check the readiness with a fork.
To make the cashew feta dip:
- Meanwhile, prepare the dip. With a mortar and a pestle, crush cashew nuts. Break feta with your fingers (if not vegan. Otherwise, use coconut flakes). Finely chop garlic. Combine in a bowl and add as much Greek yoghurt or coconut milk until you like the consistency. Taste and add black pepper and a pinch of salt if desired.
- Serve carrots topped with cashew dip. Enjoy!
Nutrition
If you try this recipe, I would love to see your pictures of it! Please use the hashtag #HappyKitchenRocks on social media, so I can see them.
Cheers! Elena
