MOROCCAN CARROT SALAD
from: MOROCCAN CARROT SALAD.doc
MOROCCAN CARROT SALAD 1 lb sweet carrots 1 small red onion ½ preserved lemon or 1 TBSP lemon rind ¼ cup currants 1 TBSP whole cumin seeds 2 cloves garlic, peeled Salt Generous pinch of cinnamon Generous pinch of cayenne (to taste) 2 TBSP sugar 5 TBSP fresh lemon juice 5 TBSP fruity olive oil 1 TBSP fresh mint leaves, minced 2 TBSP fresh cilantro leaves, minced Black Pepper Peel carrots, halve them lengthwise and cut into same-size slices. Cook carrots until barely tender, put in ice water, drain, pat dry. Peel and thinly slice onion crosswise into fine slivers and add to carrots. Thinly slice preserved lemon and add to carrots along with currants. Toast cumin in dry pan over medium heat until fragrant. Pound in mortar and pestle, then add garlic and pinch of salt and pound until you get a fine paste. Mix in cinnamon, cayenne, sugar, lemon juice and olive oil. Add dressing to carrots with mint and cilantro. Season to taste with salt and pepper. My changes: I chopped the onion. I used lemon rind generously rather than preserved lemon. I just grated garlic and did not make a paste of it. (I put the ground cumin seeds in a bowl, grated the garlic over it and mixed in the rest of the dressing ingredients). I used Trader Joe’s key lime juice for the fresh lemon juice. I think you can at least halve if not eliminate the sugar that way. I strongly suggest halving the dressing. It is twice what you need. Also, be generous with the cinnamon and cayenne (if you like it spicy), as well as the cumin. I don’t think it matters how you cut the carrots, as long as they are uniform. I also plumped the currants in hot water before adding but it’s not necessary.