Carrot and Walnut Salad

A young married couple in our village invited us over for dinner the other week. The wife Dilek was terribly nervous that we might not like her Turkish food as foreigners. I tried to assure her: “Don’t worry - we love the local food here!” But even I was surprised how much I enjoyed her carrot and walnut salad. On paper, it doesn’t sound that exciting. But the carrots infused the yogurts with this wonderful, garlicky sweetness - I ended up eating a rather embarrassing amount. It’s popular as a mezze in Turkey. Or use it as a great make-ahead salad to accompany a main meal, like Dilek does.

Carrot, Walnut and Yogurt Salad

Havuç Mezesi

2 cups yogurt, chilled

1 sml clove garlic, minced

3 lrg carrots, peeled and grated coarsely

Handful walnuts, chopped

Sprinkling of dried chilli flakes(pul biber)

1. Place the yogurt and minced garlic in a bowl, and mix well.

2. Add the carrots and stir until combined well. Refrigerate at least 30 min. Keep refrigerated until ready to serve to prevent the yogurt from separating.

3. To serve, spoon the carrot/yogurt salad onto a plate. Sprinkle over the walnuts and chilli flakes, and serve immediately