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Moroccan Carrot Salad

Khizou Mchermel – Authentic Traditional Recipe

Moroccan Carrot Salad It is one of the most famous traditional appetizers in Moroccan cuisine, and is considered an indispensable side dish on Moroccan tables, especially alongside fish dishes or tagines. It is a warm or cold Moroccan salad, which relies mainly on boiled or steamed carrots, seasoned with Moroccan chermoula.
It is characterized by its ability to stay in the refrigerator for several days, as the carrots absorb the flavor of the chermoula more over time.
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Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 35 minutes
Total Time 45 minutes
Servings: 4
Course: Side Dish
Cuisine: moroccan
Ingredients Method Notes

Ingredients
  

💠Moroccan Carrot Salad Traditional Recipe
  • 500 g carrots 4 to 6 medium-sized carrots
💠Chermoula Seasoning Ingredients - Moroccan Carrot Salad
  • 1 tsp salt
  • ½ tsp black pepper
  • 1 tsp cumin
  • 1 tsp paprika
  • 2 cloves garlic, finely minced
  • ½ half lemon Juice
  • ¼ preserved lemon
  • 2 tbsp chopped coriander

Method
 

💠1- The First and Original Method for Preparing Chermoula Carrots
  1. Choose carrots of equal size and wash them well
  2. Peel them and cut them in half. If the core of the carrots is hard, remove it with a knife so that each half will have a cavity
  3. If the core is tender like winter carrots, you can leave it or cut the carrot into rounds
  4. Peel them and cut them into thick, equal-sized sticks.
  5. Place them in a pot with boiling water and a teaspoon of salt, and leave them to cook for 30 minutes on medium heat.
    Carrot fingers in a pot of boiling water
  6. Insert a knife into a piece of carrot; if it enters easily, it is done. Drain it from the water and let it cool to firm up.
  7. Note: Pay attention to the type of carrot and cooking time, as not all varieties are the same. For more information, read additional information at the bottom of the article.
  8. In a large pan, put a quarter cup of vegetable oil, then add the minced garlic with two tablespoons of chopped coriander and cumin. Leave it on medium heat for a minute.
  9. Then add the coriander, cumin, lemon juice, paprika, and preserved lemon; a sauce-like mixture will form.
    Chermoula spices in a pan
  10. Then add the boiled carrots, stirring gently so they do not fall apart. Leave them for 5 minutes on low heat to absorb the flavors well and dry from liquids.
    Carrot fingers mixed with chermoula in a pan
  11. Add a tablespoon of chopped coriander, stir, leave to cool slightly, and serve as a hot accompanying salad.
💠2- The Second Method for Preparing Carrot Chermoula Zaalouk
  1. We will need the same ingredients as the first method.
  2. Cut the carrots into rounds or however you like, and steam them so they do not contain too much water.
    Carrot rounds steaming in a Moroccan keskass
  3. Mash them coarsely with a potato masher so that some carrot pieces remain visible.
    Mashed carrots using a potato masher in a pan
  4. In a pan, put the chermoula seasoning with oil and leave it for half a minute so the garlic releases its flavor.
  5. Add the mashed carrots to the seasoning and stir.
    Mashed and chermoula-mixed carrots in a pan
  6. When everything blends and dries, add lemon juice according to the acidity level you prefer.
  7. Serve either at room temperature or completely cold.
    Mashed carrots with chermoula, garnished with red olives, served in a glass tagine
  8. You can also watch the eggplant zaalouk salad here
  9. Moroccan Carrot Salad

Notes

  • 🥕Do not mash the carrots in a food processor, its texture will become like dough and this is a bad result for preparing it. Just mash it with a fork or a potato masher only.
  • 🥕 Don't forget to double the amount of carrots to one kilogram or more. Bon appétit