Spiced Carrot Dip

Yields: 8 servings

Time: 20 minutes prep, 30 minutes cooking

INGREDIENTS:

For the topping:

• 1/2 cup toasted hazelnuts, finely chopped
• 1/3 cup fresh mint leaves, finely chopped
• 1/3 cup fresh parsley leaves, finely chopped
• 1/3 cup pomegranate seeds
• 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
• Kosher salt, to taste
• Freshly ground black pepper, to taste

For the dip:

• 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil, divided
• 2 pounds carrots (about 12), peeled if desired and sliced ¼” thick
• 1 medium shallot, minced
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 teaspoon sumac
• 1 teaspoon Aleppo pepper (or 1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes)
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cardamom
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• Kosher salt, to taste
• Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
• 1 1/2 cups water, more as needed
• 1 cup Greek yogurt
• 2 teaspoons red wine vinegar
• 2 teaspoons honey
• Pita chips, for serving

PREPARATION INSTRUCTIONS:

1. In a small mixing bowl stir to combine all the ingredients for the topping. If needed, add a bit more olive oil until the mixture just holds together. Taste and adjust as desired. Set aside while preparing the dip.
   
   
2. Place an 11” GreenPan frypan on the stovetop over medium-high heat and pour in 1 tablespoon of the olive oil. Add the carrots, shallot, garlic, and spices to the pan and toss or stir to combine. Cook for a minute or two until the spices and garlic are very aromatic. Season with a pinch of salt and pepper then pour in the water and bring to a simmer.
   
   
3. Adjusting the heat as needed, continue to simmer the carrots until they are soft enough to be pierced with the tip of a knife and the water has mostly evaporated (there should be about ½ cup of water left in the pan). Depending on the size of your carrots, you may need to add a bit more water as they finish cooking through.
   
   
4. Transfer the carrots and remaining cooking liquid to the bowl of a food processer. Add in the remaining 3 tablespoons of olive oil, yogurt, vinegar and honey and puree until quite smooth. If needed, add a bit more yogurt to achieve a spreadable dip consistency. Taste and adjust as desired with salt, pepper, vinegar, and honey.
   
   
5. Transfer the dip to a serving bowl and lightly smooth the top. Spoon the topping evenly over the dip, and finish with another large drizzle of olive oil if desired. Serve with toasted pita chips on the side.   

TIPS:

The sweetness of the carrots makes almost any warming spices delicious in this dip. Try substituting any of the ones in this recipe with others such as nutmeg, star anise or allspice!

For an even richer flavor, try sauteing the carrots alone for 4 to 5 minutes before adding in any other ingredients, until they are well colored and caramelized in places.  Then simply add in the spices, garlic and shallot and continue the recipe as written!