Warm Houmous with Shawarma Roast Carrots

Carrots love being surrounded by spices so I’m giving them a punchy combination usually reserved for the grilled kebab we know and love. A squeeze of juicy roast tangerine at the end lightens and brightens the flavour and adds an all-important acidity. I like to eat these spooned over warm houmous with some fluffy pita. If you haven’t tried the ice-cube-in-your-houmous trick yet, have a go.

Eat this dish on its own or serve it as part of a Middle Eastern feast with some tabbouleh, a fattoush salad, grilled meat and pickles.

ingredients

serves 4

For the carrots
1 tsp coriander seeds
1 tsp cumin seeds
1 tsp pul biber or a pinch of chilli flakes
1 garlic clove
1 tsp sweet paprika
½ tsp cinnamon
3 tbsp olive oil
800g carrots, peeled and cut into 4-5cm chunks
1 tangerine or small orange, halved
For the warm houmous
600g jar of chickpeas, drained
70g tahini
1 garlic clove, chopped
Juice of 1 lemon
4 tbsp olive oil
6 ice cubes plus a splash of water
Parsley, chives, and/or mint, to serve
Zest of 1 tangerine or orange, to serve
Warm pita, to serve

instructions

Preheat the oven to 200C/180C fan/gas 6 and line a large baking tray. Bash together the coriander, cumin and pul biber in a pestle and mortar or spice grinder, then bash in the garlic and the rest of the spices. Stir in the oil and season generously.

Toss the carrots in the shawarma oil and spread out on the baking tray. Add the tangerine halves to the tray and place in the oven for 25-30 minutes until the carrots are crispy on the edges and tender in the middle. As soon as the tray comes out the oven, squeeze over the roasted tangerine so the carrots suck up all its juice.

Meanwhile, throw the houmous ingredients and some seasoning into a blender and blitz until smooth. Check the seasoning, then transfer to a pan and gently warm up over a medium heat.

Spoon the houmous between plates or bowls and top with the carrots and any leftover pan oils. Sprinkle with some chopped herbs and zest over some tangerine before scooping up with some warm pita.