Anna’s smoky carrot dip recipe

This dip works just as well as part of a mezze spread with friends as it does for a simple lunch for one or two with bread and salad. 

The spicy chilli and walnut oil makes more than you need for this recipe, but I’ve given some ideas for how to use up any extra below. It will keep covered in the fridge for up to 2 weeks. 

Ingredients for the dip 

500g carrots, scrubbed and sliced into irregular 2cm pieces 

6 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, divided

1 tablespoon sherry vinegar 

1 teaspoon ground cumin 

1 teaspoon ground turmeric 

½ teaspoon ground cinnamon 

½ an orange 

40g walnuts, toasted and ground until smooth in a pestle & mortar with 

1 clove of garlic (see above) 

Juice of ½ a lemon 

Optional: ½ teaspoon Halen Mon Smoked Water 

Optional: handful of soft green herbs, to decorate 

Salt & pepper 

Ingredients for the chilli, garlic & walnut oil 

5 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil 

1 clove garlic, finely sliced 

2 tablespoons dried chilli flakes 

10g walnuts, toasted and roughly ground in a pestle & mortar 

Method

Preheat the oven to 200°c. 

Toss the carrots in a roasting tin with 2 tablespoons of the olive oil, the sherry vinegar, spices and some salt and pepper. Squeeze the orange half over and nestle the squeezed orange amongst the carrots. Cover the tray with foil and bake in the oven for 30 minutes, or until a knife passes through the carrots with no resistance. If they’re still tough, add a splash of water to the pan, cover with foil and return to the oven for 10 minutes. 

Meanwhile, make the chilli, garlic and walnut oil. Heat the oil over a medium heat in a frying pan. Add the garlic and chilli and fry for 2-3 minutes until the pan is fragrant and the garlic is beginning to colour. Remove from the heat and allow to steep for 15 minutes – 1 hour. 

Remove the carrots from the oven, lift away the foil and use a fork to mash the carrots until mostly smooth, but still with some texture. Transfer the carrots to a bowl and add the remaining olive oil. Stir in the ground walnuts and garlic, the lemon juice and the smoked water if using. Taste and adjust the seasoning, adding more salt and pepper, lemon juice, or even some sugar if you like. Transfer the carrot dip to a bowl. 

Stir the crushed walnuts into the chilli oil and drizzle a couple of teaspoons of the fragrant oil over the dip. Top with herbs if using.

Variations: 

• Use the remaining oil to drizzle over any roasted veggies, grilled halloumi, or as a dipping oil for crusty bread 

• Try roasting parsnips or beetroot instead of the carrots (they will need a little longer in the oven)

• Experiment with spices, herbs and other flavourings such as garlic, bay and lemon when roasting the vegetables for the dip

• If you want to make a couple of carrots go further, roast or steam them, then pulse in a food processor with a tin of white beans.