Notes
This dish is a testament to the use of simple, high-quality ingredients. Carrots get briefly sauteed to soften them and bring out some of their natural sweetness, then they get paired with lemon juice, lemon zest, and chile flakes.
I love this dish because it comes together in about 20 minutes, is super flavorful, and pairs well with so many different things. It’s the perfect weeknight side dish.
One thing that will make a big difference here is seeking out high-quality, really flavorful chile flakes.
A few of my favorites:
- Chile Cobanero (medium-high heat)
- Smoked Karatzova Flakes (medium heat)
- Calabrian Chile Flakes (medium heat)
- Urfa Chile (low heat)
- Silk Chile (low heat)
Ingredients
- 1 bunch of carrots
- chile flakes
- lemon (juice + zest)
- olive oil
- salt
Process
Start by washing and/or peeling your carrots. If the carrots are small, peeling isn’t necessary. I find that it does remove some bitterness, so I’ll usually peel larger carrots.
Cut the carrots into a small dice.
Heat a stainless steel, carbon steel, or cast iron pan over medium heat. Once the pan is heated, add in a few tbsp of olive oil and allow the oil to heat up.
Add the carrots to the pan and cook, tossing or stirring occasionally. Season with salt.
Cook until the carrots soften slightly and become a bit sweet, about 5-10 minutes.
At this point, add a generous sprinkle of chile flakes all over the carrots. Add the zest and juice of 1/2 to 1 lemon, and toss everything to combine.
Taste and adjust as needed with more salt, lemon, or chile flakes.
I’ll often serve these on their own, as a side dish, or over a bed of Greek yogurt.
Enjoy!
