Cinnamon in a savoury salad surprises at first, and yet, worked by hand through raw julienned carrots, it stops reading as a dessert spice and becomes a warm background note - exactly the role it plays in the North African carrot dishes that inspired this recipe. Fresh coriander and pea shoots hold the green, herbal line and cut the cinnamon before it can take over. The dressing brings the citrus side: fresh orange juice and zest, a small measure of sesame oil, a pinch of chilli to slide a little heat underneath the sweetness. Because the carrots are cut into fine sticks rather than grated, they hold the dressing without releasing water, and the pea shoots add a light, faintly sweet crunch that plays against the denser strips. This is a salad built to sit alongside something plainer - a bowl of soaked grains, a dish of pulses, a slice of sprouted bread - so its spice and citrus have something quieter to answer to on the plate. Use a generous handful of coriander: any less and it disappears behind the cinnamon. Leftover dressing keeps well and doubles as a marinade for other raw vegetables over the following days.
Moroccan-style carrot salad with cinnamon and orange
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Ingredients
Salad
- 7 to 8 large rainbow carrots
- 1 large handful fresh coriander leaves
- 2 large handfuls pea shoots
- 2/3 tablespoon cinnamon
Dressing
- 2 tablespoons water
- 1 tablespoon sesame oil
- 1 tablespoon raw honey
- A pinch of chilli
- 1 orange, zested and juiced
Preparation
- Peel the carrots, then cut them into fine sticks (julienne).
- Rinse the pea shoots thoroughly and cut them in half, or shorter if you prefer.
- Bring the carrots, coriander, pea shoots and cinnamon together in a large bowl, working the cinnamon in by hand so it coats the sticks evenly.
- Transfer to a serving dish, spoon over some of the dressing and set the rest on the table so everyone can adjust to taste.
- For the dressing: whisk the water, sesame oil, honey, chilli, orange zest and juice together in a glass until the honey has completely dissolved.
Tip
Cut the carrots with a knife or a mandoline rather than a coarse grater: fine, even sticks hold the cinnamon and the dressing far better, whereas grated carrot clumps together and releases water as it sits, watering the salad down. The leftover dressing keeps for a few days in a sealed jar in the fridge and makes an excellent marinade for other raw vegetables.
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FAQ: your questions about Moroccan-style carrot salad
Which spice should you use in grated carrots?
Raw carrot takes warm spices very well, because its natural sugar gives them a base to sit on. Cinnamon, as here, is the most surprising and the most successful; cumin, ground coriander, dried ginger and sweet paprika all work just as well, alone or combined. One simple rule: one dominant spice, a second in support, and nothing more - beyond that, the flavours cancel each other out. Remember to work the spice into the carrots by hand rather than dusting it over, so it spreads through instead of sitting on the surface.
How do you improve a grated carrot salad?
Three levers change everything. The cut first: a fine julienne holds the dressing, whereas grated carrot releases water and collapses. Acidity next: fresh citrus juice, orange or lemon, immediately wakes up a flat salad. Textures last: fresh shoots, seeds, dried fruit or herbs in real quantity bring the contrast a salad of carrots alone will always lack. A disappointing carrot salad is almost always missing one of these three.
What dressing should you make for grated carrots?
Orange goes particularly well with carrot, because the two share a sweet foundation. The one in this recipe combines orange juice and zest, a little water to lighten it, sesame oil for depth, honey to bind and a pinch of chilli for warmth. Whisk until the honey has completely dissolved, otherwise it settles at the bottom of the bowl instead of coating the vegetables. A lemon and olive oil dressing also works, but gives a sharper, less rounded salad.
Which spice goes best with carrot?
Cumin is the undisputed classic, and cinnamon its great rival on the North African side - it is what gives this recipe its character. Ginger, fresh or dried, also pairs very well, as do ground coriander seeds. Warm spices work because raw carrot is naturally sweet: they create the contrast. Very fresh or minty spices, by contrast, sit less naturally alongside it.
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