This is a combination of three simple things that come together into a devilishly delicious dish: maple roast carrots with a subtle hit of spice, crispy seasoned chickpeas and a cooling, creamy garlic yogurt sauce. Substantial, impressive side or meat-free meal!

Spicy maple roast carrots with crispy chickpeas and yogurt sauce

I love dishes like this. Take nice-but-nothing-spectacular things. In today’s case, spicy maple roasted carrots (3 ingredients), crispy chickpeas (crack a can) and a yogurt sauce.

Individually – fine.

Together – INCREDIBLE!

The thing here that makes this so special is the contrast of flavours and textures. Sweet and spicy from the carrots. Crunchy and savoury from the chickpeas. Creamy and cooling from the lemony garlic yogurt sauce.

It is so, so, SO very good!

I also think you’ll appreciate the convenience of the making process. Both the carrots and chickpeas cook in the oven at the same time, taking around 30 minutes for the carrots to become caramelised and tender, and the chickpeas crispy and clattering across the tray.

You do big swirly smears of the yogurt sauce on a platter, pile the glistening carrots on top and shower with the crunchy chickpeas, stand back and you immediately know you’ve just made something moreishly delicious!

How much do you wish that spoon was heading towards your mouth right now??

Ingredients

Here’s what you need to make these loaded spicy maple roast carrots. Actually not that much! I’ve just broken it up into groups for ease of reading.

Carrot options

I like the visuals of dutch carrots but you can use ordinary carrots instead. Just cut them in quarters or half lengthwise so they are around the same width as dutch carrots.

Spicy maple sauce for roasting

Just sriracha (for spiciness and vinegar) and maple syrup. You can use honey instead, though I really love the flavour maple brings to this dish.

Crispy roasted chickpeas

Just a can of chickpeas and a simple seasoning adds great crunch and extra fun to this dish! It also adds starch which turns it into meal-territory.

lemon garlic yogurt sauce

Here’s what you need for the yogurt sauce. This is a simple, powerhouse sauce that’s incredibly versatile that I use frequently, from Chicken Shawarma wraps to draping over roasted pumpkin, koftas to lamb borek. Use a good Greek or Greek-style yogurt if you can, else any plain yogurt (not sweetened or flavoured).

How to make it

Toss and roast. That’s really all it takes! The chickpeas and spicy maple roast carrots will both take around 30 minutes in the oven so we can do them both at the same time.

1. Dry roast plain chickpeas – Drain the chickpeas, spread them out on a tray then roast for 10 minutes. After many years of baking chickpeas, I can definitely say this makes oven baked chickpeas crispier than if you air dry or dry them with tea towels, not to mention faster and more convenient!

2. Season – Then toss the chickpeas with the oil, salt, pepper and seasonings. I just do this on the tray – if you’d got a rubber spatula, you can scrape-and-toss pretty effectively just straight on the tray.

3. Roast – Then roast the chickpeas for a further 20 to 25 minutes until they are crispy. You’ll know just by shaking the tray when they’re ready as they will clatter noisily around on the tray.

4. Toss the carrots in the sriracha, maple syrup, salt, pepper and oil.

5. Roast 30 minutes – Spread on the tray then bake for 30 minutes until the carrots are tender and they are a bit caramelised.

6. Yogurt sauce – Mix the ingredients until combined.

7. Extra sauce (optional) – I also like to mix up just a splash of plain maple and sriracha to pour over as extra sauce. Mainly for extra sauce, because the sauce used to roast the carrots is caramelised onto the carrots as we want, rather than remaining in a pool on the tray, and I like the fresh vinegary hit that the sriracha brings to the dish. But it’s optional!

8. Assemble – Then to assemble, spread the yogurt sauce on a plate. Pile on the carrots, including scraping out any juice left on the tray. Pour over the extra maple-sriracha sauce, then tumble over the chickpeas. Sprinkle with coriander (and pistachios as an optional extra, if using) then serve immediately!

How to serve these loaded spicy maple roast carrots

Think beyond the side dish!

1. As a meal – Hand on heart, what you see in the photos was my lunch then dinner (I was stuffing carrots in warmed pita breads)

2. Salad lunch spread* with friends – This clunky titled concept is something I like to especially do for lunch gatherings with friends. I put out a selection of what I call “substantial salads” (ie not just a bowl of leafy greens), crusty bread, and usually some crudités with hummus or feta dip. This dish is definitely going to make my next salad lunch spread!

   I like doing these salad spreads because it’s something different, people alway like a selection of dishes, I choose salads that can be prepared ahead and it’s usually an easy way to deal with the inevitable presence of someone gluten-free, vegetarian and/or “trying to be healthy”.

3. As a side dish. Yes, I had to list it! And definitely an occasion-worthy side dish.

There you go! I’d love to know what you think of this dish. I always get a touch nervous with recipes I just invent on a whim, usually when I get inspired when I see a particular ingredient on special (in this case, dutch carrots!). – Nagi x

Watch how to make it

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Spicy maple roast carrots with crispy chickpeas and yogurt sauce

Recipe video above. This is a combination of 3 simple things that are devilishly good together: slightly spicy caramelised maple roasted carrots, crispy seasoned chickpeas and a cooling, creamy yogurt sauce with a subtle hint of garlic. The chickpeas add terrific crunch and because they're a starch, you can easily serve this substantial side dish as a meal.

Both the carrots and chickpeas take around 30 minutes in the oven but you might need to add an extra 5 minutes or so depending on how long you take when you take the trays out to toss/season etc .

Course Side, vegetarian main

Cuisine MIddle eastern vibes, Western

Keyword carrot side dish, Roasted Carrots

Prep Time 15 minutes minutes

Cook Time 40 minutes minutes

Servings 5 as a side, 2 – 3 as a main

Calories 304cal

Author Nagi

Ingredients

Carrots (choose one):

• 16 Dutch carrots , scrubbed clean and tops trimmed (keep 2cm/1″ of tops for looks)
• 600 g/ 1.2 lb regular carrots (5 medium), peeled, cut into quarters (Note 1)

Spicy maple sauce (for carrots):

• 3 tbsp maple syrup (or 2 1/2 tbsp honey)
• 2 tbsp sriracha
• 1 1/2 tbsp olive oil
• 1/4 tsp cooking salt / kosher salt
• 1/4 tsp black pepper

Crispy seasoned chickpeas:

• 400g/ 14 oz can chickpeas , drained but not dried
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 1/2 tsp smoked paprika
• 1/4 tsp garlic powder
• 1/4 tsp onion powder
• 1/4 tsp cooking salt / kosher salt
• 1/4 tsp black pepper

Extra sauce (optional) – Note 2

• 1 tbsp maple syrup
• 1/2 tbsp sriracha

Lemon garlic yogurt sauce:

• 1 cup plain yogurt
• 1/2 tsp garlic , finely grated
• 1 tbsp lemon juice
• 1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
• 1/4 tsp cooking salt / kosher salt

Garnishes:

• 2 tbsp finely chopped coriander/cilantro leaves (sub parsley)
• 3 tbsp toasted pistachios , finely chopped (Note 3)

Cups – Metric

Instructions

• Preheat the oven to 200°C/425°F (180°C fan). Arrange the oven racks so they are 20 cm/8" apart (for air circulation).
• Chickpeas & carrots – Drain the chickpeas then spread on a tray (still wet). Toss the carrots with the Spicy Maple Sauce ingredients. Put both trays in the oven (carrots on the top shelf).
• Crispy chickpeas – Remove the oven dried chickpeas from the oven after 10 minutes (Note 4). Push them to one side of the tray, drizzle with the oil and sprinkle with the chickpea spices, salt and pepper. Toss well using a rubber spatula, then return to the oven for a further 20 – 25 minutes until they're crispy (listen for the clatter when you shake the tray – or eat one! Note 4).
• Carrots 30 min – Roast the carrots for 30 minutes, tossing halfway, until they are tender and caramelised on the edges.
• Yogurt Sauce – Mix the ingredients in a bowl and set aside for at least 20 minutes to allow the flavours to develop.
• Extra sauce – Mix until combined.
• Assemble – Spread the yogurt sauce on a plate. Pile on the carrots, scraping out every drop of juices on the tray. Drizzle with extra sauce, if using. Sprinkle over chickpeas, then coriander and pistachios. EAT!

Notes

Spice note: Not that spicy, roasting takes the spicy edge of sriracha a bit. If you’re concerned, cut back then if you want more spiciness at the end, just add a bit more sriracha when making up the Extra Sauce.

1. Carrots – I use dutch for visual purposes and because when I made this for the photos, dutch carrots were on special. But regular carrots can be used in a pinch. Cut them vertically into dutch-carrot width long pieces (quarters for normal carrots, half for small ones)

2. Extra sauce – I like to add a touch of extra sauce at the end because all the sauce caramelises in the oven and coats the carrots (as intended). I also like the vinegary tang that the sriracha brings to the dish.

3. Pistachios – A late addition to this dish included in the video that just made it even better! For flavour and also looks good. But it’s optional. Toast over medium heat in a dry skillet (no oil) until there are small golden patches. Remove, cool, chop.

4. Roasted chickpeas should be crispy on the outside but still soft on the inside. The initial 10 minute dry roasting will make these oven chickpeas crispier than the usual technique of air or towel drying then roasting, but the fact is they will never be as crispy as deep frying (and that’s ok, our hips are happy with this) and they don’t stay crispy for longer than 2 hours UNLESS you roast them for 45 minutes until they are rock hard all the way through (these are a little too hard to eat, in my opinion)

Leftovers will keep pretty well for a day, bring to room temp them eat (it’s a bit messy to separate yogurt from carrots to heat the carrots). Otherwise keep the components separate and heat the carrots. Oven chickpeas don’t stay crispy for longer than a couple of hours.

Nutrition per serving, assuming 5 servings as a side.

Nutrition

Calories: 304cal | Carbohydrates: 41g | Protein: 8g | Fat: 13g | Saturated Fat: 3g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 8g | Cholesterol: 6mg | Sodium: 632mg | Potassium: 683mg | Fiber: 8g | Sugar: 20g | Vitamin A: 20221IU | Vitamin C: 14mg | Calcium: 147mg | Iron: 2mg

Life of Dozer

Since Dozer and I started meeting readers in “real life”, he’s been blessed with adorable gifts from generous people. Here is a memorable one. It’s handmade. So touched a reader took the time to make this!! I just love it. 😇

The post Spicy maple roast carrots with crispy chickpeas and yogurt sauce appeared first on RecipeTin Eats.

The best way to make roasted carrots is in a very hot oven so they brown beautifully in the same time it cooks for the inside to become sweet and tender. Because nobody wants bland, colourless baked carrots that look like they’ve been boiled! 

Great Roasted Carrots

I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again – the simplest way to add instant flavour to any vegetable is to roast it. The oven completely transforms bland vegetables, intensifying the natural flavour, caramelising sugar you didn’t even know was in it, and giving it colour by browning the outsides. And we all know colour = flavour!

And carrots are a wonderful example of roasting magic in action. Raw carrots – while crisp and fresh and has its place in this world – is simply no comparison to a pile of hot roasted carrots, sweet and tender on the inside, with caramelised edges!

What you need for Roasted Carrots

All you need for great roasted carrots is carrots, oil (preferably olive oil), salt and pepper. You will be eating this straight off the tray!

But I’ve also added garlic for extra flavour because I wanted to show you how I add it in partway through cooking so you don’t end up with little burnt garlic bits on the carrot. I do the same for ginger and dried herbs.

How to roast carrots

Peel then cut carrots into even chunks, toss in oil, salt and pepper, then roast for 30 minutes at 220°C/430°F, flipping halfway.

Garlic option – add it when you flip the carrots. This way, you end up with perfect little golden bits of garlic instead of bitter burn garlic.

Roasting at a high temperature is key here to get some lovely colour on the carrots which adds extra flavour. Most recipes use a lower temperature which will cook the carrots just fine, but it’s not high enough to brown them (and if you leave them in the oven longer, they overcook and become wrinkly and sad).

It’s best to cut them into large(ish) chunks so they don’t cook too quickly, otherwise they become overly soft before they brown.

PRO TIP: Frozen carrots (thawed) work just fine but they won’t brown as nicely because they hold more water inside.

How to serve roasted carrots

The obvious way is as a side – just pile it into a bowl and serve it alongside the main, see below for suggestions.

To turn it into a main affair, a really nice way to turn it into a salad is to drizzle over Tahini Sauce and add a sprinkle of almonds or pine nuts and coriander/cilantro – very Ottolenghi like!! Or add a big dollop of lemon yogurt. I’ve jotted these down in the recipe notes.

What goes well with roasted carrots

Roasted carrots go with all proteins – chicken, pork, lamb, beef, seafood.

I especially love serving them with roasts. Because I only have one oven, I only serve roasted carrots on the side when the roast can be kept warm for the 30 minutes it takes to roast the carrots without losing it’s freshness.  Such roasts include these:

Roast Lamb Leg with Gravy

Standing Rib Roast (Prime Rib)

Pork Roast with Crispy Crackling

Slow Roast Leg of Lamb

Roast Lamb

Brown Sugar Garlic Butter Roast Pork

Roasts

Specifically, I find it best to serve roast chicken fresh out of the oven so these carrots don’t make an appearance on the side of chicken. You could cook the carrots in the oven at the same time, but just be aware that the more you have in the oven, the longer it takes for things to cook (it’s an unknown you will need to manage) and whatever is on the bottom shelf won’t brown as nicely.

But don’t just restrict yourself to roasts! Roasted Carrots are a terrific quick side for quick midweek meals too. Here are a few suggestions:

Chicken with Creamy Sun Dried Tomato Sauce

French Onion Smothered Pork Chops

Rosemary Garlic Grilled Lamb Chops

Honey Soy Chicken Marinade (for boneless thighs and breast)

Garlic Prawns (Shrimp)

Crispy Pan Fried Fish

How to Cook Steak – like a chef!

So tell me – what flavourings you love on your roasted carrots? Plain, garlic, parmesan, lemon, herbs?? Share your ideas! – Nagi x

PS And here’s my other favourite way with roasted carrots – glazed with Brown Sugar. So good!

Watch how to make it

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Great Roasted Carrots

Recipe video above. In my opinion, there is only one way to roast carrots - on a high temperature so they brown beautifully in the same time it cooks for the inside to become sweet and tender. Cooked this way, you need nothing more than salt and pepper, though a hit of garlic never hurts!

Extra flavouring options - see Note 3.

Course Sides

Cuisine Western

Keyword garlic carrots, Roasted Carrots

Prep Time 5 minutes minutes

Cook Time 30 minutes minutes

Servings 5

Calories 132cal

Author Nagi

Ingredients

• 1 kg / 2 lb carrots , peeled and ends trimmed (Note 1)
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 3/4 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp black pepper
• 2 garlic cloves , minced using garlic press or finely grated using microplane (optional, Note 2)

Extra flavouring options

• See Note 3

Optional garnish:

• Fresh parsley

Instructions

• Preheat oven to 220°C/430°F (200°C fan).
• Cut the carrots on the diagonal into 5cm / 2" lengths. Cut the thicker ones in half lengthwise so they are all roughly the same width.
• Place on a tray, drizzle with oil, sprinkle with salt and pepper, toss.
• Roast 20 minutes: Spread out on tray, roast 20 minutes.
• Flip & garlic: Remove from oven. Push carrots to one end, add garlic and toss. (Add other Flavour Options at this point too)
• Roast 10 minutes: Roast for a further 10 minutes. Remove from oven, toss carrots to coat in the garlicky oil and juices on the tray.
• Sprinkle with parsley and serve!

Notes

1. Carrots - fresh is best. Thawed frozen also works but because they leech more water, they don't brown as nicely.
I use a solid baking tray which retains heat much better than flimsy ones which also helps with browning. If you find you don't get as much colour as I do, then crank your oven up a bit at the end!

2. Garlic - added partway through baking so you don't end up with burnt black bits through your carrots, it's bitter and not pleasant. Do the same for ginger and dried herbs.

Best to use garlic press or finely grate it using a microplane so you get a semi "paste" which sticks to / coats the carrots better than finely chopped garlic. Same applies to ginger.

3. MORE FLAVOUR OPTIONS

Toss carrots in these before putting in oven:

• Parmesan - 1/4 cup (25g) grated Parmesan (reduce salt I recipe to 1/4 tsp)
• Parmesan crunch - 2 tbsp parmesan + 2 tbsp panko breadcrumbs
• Spice Mix of your choice - 1.5 to 2 tsp
• Dukkah - 2 tsp
• Moroccan - 3/4 tsp each paprika + cumin, 1/4 tsp cinnamon, 1/8 tsp tumeric, 1/4 tsp ginger powder
• Everyday seasoning - 3/4 tsp paprika, 3/4 tsp oregano or thyme, 1/4 tsp EACH onion and garlic powder
• Five Spice - 1/2 tsp (for subtle)

Add these at the 20 minute toss mark:

• 2 tsp ginger, finely grated using microplane
• 1 1/2 tsp dried herbs of choice (mixed, Italian, parsley, basil, thyme, oregano, or a mix)
• 1 tsp cumin seeds

Add these at the end:

• Squeeze of lemon juice (or lime!)
• One of the sauces below
• Sprinkle of parsley, chives, coriander/cilantro, green onions, thyme
• Toasted nuts (almonds, pine nuts, walnuts go especially well)
• Fresh sprinkling of parmesan

3. Extras!

Tahini sauce to make an Ottolenghi-like salad:

1/4 cup (55g) tahini, 2.5 tbsp water, 1.5 tsp honey, 1 tbsp lemon juice, 1/2 garlic clove (pressed through garlic crusher or super finely minced), 1/4 tsp each salt and pepper

Mix well until it comes together. Either drizzle over piled up carrots, OR spread sauce on platter, pile carrots on top. Sprinkle with toasted flaked almonds (or chopped) or pine nuts, plus coriander/cilantro (or chives, parsley or green onion).

Lemon Yogurt Sauce - quick way to dress it up, mix and dollop on pile of carrots or serve on side:

Mix 1 cup, 1 clove garlic (pressed through garlic crusher or super finely minced), 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil, 1 - 2 tbsp lemon juice (to your taste), 1/4 tsp each salt and pepper (plus more to taste).

4. Nutrition per serving.

Nutrition

Calories: 132cal | Carbohydrates: 19g | Protein: 2g | Fat: 6g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Sodium: 487mg | Potassium: 640mg | Fiber: 6g | Sugar: 9g | Vitamin A: 33412IU | Vitamin C: 12mg | Calcium: 66mg | Iron: 1mg

Life of Dozer

Dozer banished outdoors for doing something naughty… I can’t specifically remember what, but that’s definitely his please let me back inside, I’ll be good! face, and that would’ve been the reason why I took a photo of him on the other side of the door!

The post Great Roasted Carrots appeared first on RecipeTin Eats.

Glazed Carrots are usually made on the stove but they are so much more amazing roasted!!! Tossed with brown sugar and butter then roasted so you get gorgeous caramelised edges with a caramel-like sauce, this a super quick and easy carrot side dish that’s so outrageously delicious, you could just have a bowl of this for dinner. (I did!)

If you’re out of oven space, try this stove top version – with the same caramelisation!

Glazed Carrots with caramelisation!

Maybe it’s because I live in Australia and not North America, but it never occurred to me to make glazed carrots without caramelised edges. Yet, when I had a scout around the internet before publishing this recipe, I was somewhat bemused to see that the standard recipe seems to be made on the stove without any caramelisation.

So really, they’re boiled carrots coated in a sugary syrup. (I’m being cheeky. 😂)

But when you roast them so you get caramelised edges? OMG!!

How to make Brown Sugar Glazed Carrots

This is a super quick and easy recipe. Just toss the carrots in brown sugar (or honey or maple syrup), butter and oil with a good pinch of salt and pepper. Then just roast for 25 minutes in a hot oven (220C/425F) until the carrots are caramelised on the edges. A hot oven works best so we can get caramelised edges without the carrot getting too soft and wrinkled.

What you’ll end up with is a pan of tender carrots (but not mushy soft) and enough caramel-like sauce to glaze the carrots (hence the name – Glazed Carrots!) but not so much that you feel like you’re eating a dessert.

TIP: I use both oil AND butter here. The reason is that butter provides better flavour but it burns at high temperatures. So by combining with oil, we get the best of both worlds!

What to serve with glazed carrots

Glazed carrots will pair beautifully with most non-Asian meals though I wouldn’t use them with mains with a sweet sauce – too much sugar. It would be ideal to pop in the oven at the same time as this Baked Chicken Breast or Roast Chicken, or this Roast Pork with Crispy Crackling.

Have it as your side for a quick one-pan Baked Chicken and Rice, Meatloaf, or make complete a meat-free meal by adding a side of Mushroom Rice.

Some more quick dinner ideas that will pair beautifully with these Glazed Carrots:

• Crispy Garlic Chicken Thighs (reader favourite!)

• Beef Stroganoff

• Crispy Pan Fried Fish

It’s a also a classic for holiday dinner tables, including Thanksgiving and Christmas.

But honestly? These Glazed Carrots are SO GOOD you might do what I did yesterday – just have a big bowl of these as a meal! – Nagi x

WATCH HOW TO MAKE IT

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Brown Sugar Glazed Carrots

Recipe video above. The most amazing quick and easy roasted carrots! Roasting brings out the best in carrots, always. And the caramelised edges are the BEST - it's the only way I make Glazed Carrots!

Course Side

Keyword Glazed Carrots, Roasted Carrots

Prep Time 10 minutes minutes

Cook Time 25 minutes minutes

Total Time 35 minutes minutes

Servings 5 as a side

Calories 191cal

Author Nagi

Ingredients

• 1 kg / 2 lb carrots , peeled (Note 1)
• 1/4 cup (40g) brown sugar , loosely packed (Note 2)
• 2 garlic cloves , minced
• 2 tbsp butter (30g) , melted (or olive oil)
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• ½ tsp salt
• ¼ tsp black pepper
• Parsley , for garnish (optional)

Instructions

• Preheat oven to 220C/425F (standard) or 200C/400F (fan).
• Cut carrot on the diagonal into 4cm / 1.75” lengths. Halve thicker end so they are all roughly the same width.
• Toss in a bowl with sugar, butter, garlic, oil, salt and pepper. Pour onto tray, spread out.
• Roast 15 minutes. Toss, then roast a further 10 minutes until soft and caramelised on the edges with plenty of glaze left on the tray.
• Toss carrots in the glaze, sprinkle with parsley if using. Serve warm.

Notes

* Nice holiday touch is to add ½ tsp of cinnamon! For a kick, add cayenne pepper.

1. Carrots - use any type of carrots. Baby, dutch, purple or standard (as I have done)

2. Sugar - Can be substituted with honey or maple syrup, and can reduce down to 1 tbsp.

Nutrition per serving.

Nutrition Facts

Brown Sugar Glazed Carrots

Amount Per Serving

Calories 191 Calories from Fat 63

% Daily Value*

Fat 7g11%

Saturated Fat 3g19%

Cholesterol 12mg4%

Sodium 414mg18%

Potassium 654mg19%

Carbohydrates 30g10%

Fiber 5g21%

Sugar 20g22%

Protein 2g4%

Vitamin A 33555IU671%

Vitamin C 12.2mg15%

Calcium 77mg8%

Iron 0.7mg4%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

Nutrition

Calories: 191cal | Carbohydrates: 30g | Protein: 2g | Fat: 7g | Saturated Fat: 3g | Cholesterol: 12mg | Sodium: 414mg | Potassium: 654mg | Fiber: 5g | Sugar: 20g | Vitamin A: 33555IU | Vitamin C: 12.2mg | Calcium: 77mg | Iron: 0.7mg

LIFE OF DOZER

Spot Dozer!

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