Moroccan Carrot Dip: Spicy, Vibrant and Delicious

A wonderfully versatile and delicious dip or spread from North Africa. The flavours of sweet, sour and spicy are beautifully balanced. Use this Moroccan carrot dip for a gorgeous splash of colour and vibrant hit at parties, as part of a mezze spread or a potluck meal.

I’ve called this recipe a Moroccan carrot dip, but it’s really influenced by the Maghreb as a whole. The countries of North Africa that make up the Maghreb are Morocco, Tunisia, Algeria and Libya. Carrots are a common vegetable across this region and salads and dips made with them abound. This Moroccan inspired one made with rose harissa is my favourite. I make it a lot.

Harissa is a Tunisian hot chilli paste which is usually made from piri-piri peppers, caraway seeds, cumin seeds, garlic, olive oil and lemon juice. There are many variations across the Maghreb, however. It may contain alternative red peppers, herbs and spices too.

Rose harissa is a common variation. As its name suggests, it includes the addition of rose petals. The roses add a subtle sweetness and floral notes which mollifies the fieriness of the chilli somewhat. I use rose harissa powder from Steenbergs rather than a paste.

Pilpelchuma is another fiery mix that works well in this recipe. It’s from Libya and is a bit more difficult to find, though you could, of course, make your own.

Moroccan Carrot Dip

This Moroccan carrot dip is both easy to make and versatile. For starters, why not include it as part of a mezze feast? I do love a good spread of Middle Eastern and North African small plates to share.

There are plenty of other ways to enjoy it though. You can spread it in sandwiches or wraps for lunch. Use it to dip flatbreads, crackers or crudités into, of course. This one works particularly well for parties, picnics or alongside drinks. Make yourself popular and take some along to a potluck supper. In addition you can dollop some onto your salads to liven them up. Enough of me waffling on.

It’s also lovely served with falafel instead of this yoghurt tahini sauce. We like it spread onto toasted slices of halloumi and olive garlic spelt bread too. We’ve even enjoyed it as a topping for savoury waffles as you can see from the photo above. Pancakes would be equally good.

It’s simple to prepare, healthy to eat and colourful to look at. It’s also really tasty with a good balance of sweet, sour and spicy flavours.

Once you’ve cooked your carrots, the process of making this Moroccan carrot dip is easy peasy. Either place all of the ingredients into a food processor or blender or simply mash them together with a fork. Job done. I quite like a smooth texture, so I use my FroothieEvolve.

You can serve it warm or at room temperature, but it’s not at its best straight from the fridge. You can, however, keep it in the fridge for two days. Just bring it up to room temperature and give a good stir before serving.

Keep the carrots’ cooking water in the fridge for up to two days. You can then use in soups, stews or sauces as a flavourful addition.

Moroccan Carrot Dip Variations

Variety is the spice of life. And you can change up this Moroccan carrot dip every time you make it. Vary the texture, the heat, the spices, the sweetness or the sourness to suit your tastes or mood. You can also use different toppings to give a different character profile. See my list of topping suggestions in the next section.

Boil or Roast

The simplest method to make this Moroccan carrot dip is to boil the carrots. It’s less fuss and less expensive too as you don’t need to turn the oven on. However, roasting the carrots gives them added sweetness and caramel notes which makes this dip a bit more special. And you don’t have to use the oven either. My air fryer works perfectly for roasting small quantities of vegetables.

On the other hand, if you want to make the most of that beautiful orange colour, it’s best to boil your carrots.

Smooth or Chunky

People can be quite fussy about dips and spreads. Some like them super smooth and some like them chunky. And some like them somewhere in between. For a smooth and creamy texture, you’ll need a power blender. I use my Froothie Evolve as I prefer this dip to have a velvety mouthfeel. Use a food processor for something with a bit more texture or for full throttle rustic, simply mash with a fork.

Fiery or Mild

Harissa is quite a fiery spice mix so there’s a fair amount of heat in this Moroccan carrot dip. If you prefer something milder, either use less harissa or a milder spice mix. If you’d rather not have any chilli at all, grind up a mix of toasted cumin seeds, caraway seeds, coriander seeds and peppercorns. Then add a little smoked paprika.

If you like things really hot, add another quarter to half a teaspoon of rose harissa.

Sweet or Not-So-Sweet

Carrots are already quite a sweet vegetable, but adding a little extra sweetness really complements the fieriness of the chilli. Young carrots are likely to be sweeter than older ones, so you might like to add a little less or more sweetness, depending on the quality of your carrots. I like to use honey for it’s wonderful flavour, but you can easily swap this for date syrup, sugar or even maple syrup.

Sour or Not-So Sour

This dip is all about the balance of sweet, sour, savoury and heat. Citrus, such as lemon juice or lime give a certain sweetness as well as sour notes. I’d definitely recommend using one of these if you can, although a sour orange would be lovely too. Go carefully when adding the citrus juice as you may find you don’t need all of it. It’s all about individual taste.

If you don’t have any citrus to hand, you can use vinegar instead. I find a tablespoon of apple cider vinegar works a treat.

Vegetarian or Vegan

I’ve used honey in this Moroccan carrot dip recipe, so it’s not suitable for vegans. As mentioned above, however, you can use date syrup, sugar or maple syrup instead. You could also try my recipe for bee-free dandelion honey.

Dip or Sauce

As well as a piquant and colourful dip, you can quickly turn this recipe into an easy pasta sauce. Just add some of the carrots’ cooking water to the mixture as you blend it, until you have a saucy consistency. Serve whilst still warm and add any of the toppings suggested below.

Moroccan Carrot Dip Toppings

Whilst this Moroccan carrot dip is delicious just as it it, toppings can add an extra dimension. Try one or more of the following:

• a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil
• a teaspoon of capers
• chopped green or black olives – or a mixture of both
• crumbled feta cheese
• chopped boiled eggs
• finely chopped parsley
• finely chopped coriander leaves (cilantro)
• pine nuts
• a sprinkling of sesame seeds
• pieces of roasted or boiled carrot

We like it best topped with olive oil, chopped olives and a sprinkling of parsley. That doesn’t stop us adding feta cheese as well though.

Other Carrot Recipes You Might Like

• Baked carrot falafel
• Carrot & cheese sandwich filling
• Carrot top pesto
• Healthy vegan carrot cake
• Roasted carrots and lentil curry
• Simple carrot salad with orange & ginger

Keep in Touch

Thanks for visiting Tin and Thyme. If you make this Moroccan carrot dip or a variation of it, I’d love to hear about it in the comments below. And do please rate the recipe. Have you any top tips?  Do share photos on social media too and use the hashtag #tinandthyme, so I can spot them.

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For more dips and spreads you might like, I have plenty of recipes to choose from. All delicious, of course.

Choclette x

Moroccan Carrot Dip. PIN IT.

Moroccan Carrot Dip – The Recipe

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5 from 12 votes

Moroccan Carrot Dip

This versatile and delicious piquant dip or spread from North Africa is simple, healthy and colourful.

Cook ModeToggle to keep screen awake

Prep Time10 minutes mins

Cook Time15 minutes mins

Total Time25 minutes mins

Course: Dips, Spreads & Sauces

Cuisine: North African

Keyword: carrots, dip, harissa, sauce, spread, vegetarian

Servings: 6 people

Calories: 74kcal

Author: Choclette @ Tin and Thyme

Ingredients

• 400 g carrots topped and tailed but not peeled
• 3 cm thumb size knob root ginger
• 1 plump clove of garlic
• 1 tsp rose harissa (I use a powder mix, but a paste is fine too)
• ¼ tsp sea salt
• 1 tsp honey
• 1 lemon juiced
• 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil

Instructions

• Roughly chop the carrots and simmer in a pan with just enough water to cover. As soon as they’re cooked remove from the heat and drain. Keep the water.
  400 g carrots
• Blitz everything but the olive oil in a food processor or blender until you have a paste. Or for a chunkier texture, simply mash with a fork.
  3 cm thumb size knob root ginger, 1 plump clove of garlic, 1 tsp rose harissa, ¼ tsp sea salt, 1 tsp honey, 1 lemon
• Add the olive oil and whizz again until everything is well incorporated and you have a smooth dip.
  2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
• If the mixture is a bit too thick, add some of the carrot cooking water.
• Spoon into a bowl and top with any of the options listed below.

Notes

Can be kept in the fridge for two days. Serve at room temperature and give a good stir before using.

Keep the carrots’ cooking water in the fridge for up to two days. Use in soups, stews or sauces.

Top with any of the following:

• a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil
• a teaspoon of capers
• chopped olives
• crumbled feta cheese
• chopped boiled eggs
• finely chopped parsley
• finely chopped coriander leaves (cilantro)
• pine nuts
• a sprinkling of sesame seeds
• pieces of roasted or boiled carrot

 

Please note: calories and other nutritional information are per serving. They’re approximate and will depend on exact ingredients used.

Nutrition Estimate

Calories: 74kcal | Carbohydrates: 8g | Protein: 1g | Fat: 5g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Sodium: 154mg | Potassium: 213mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 4g | Vitamin A: 11137IU | Vitamin C: 4mg | Calcium: 22mg | Iron: 1mg

Tried this recipe?Leave a comment below letting us know how you got on and do share a photo on Instagram. Tag @choclette8 or use hashtag #tinandthyme.

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I’m sharing this recipe for Moroccan carrot dip with Cooking With My Kids for #CookBlogShare.