From budget to banger: Three ways to give carrots a glow-up

Carrots are wildly cheap right now. Suspiciously cheap. The kind of cheap that makes you put a bag in the trolley, then, moments later, add another bag, as if you’re quietly preparing for a future in which carrots become currency.

The good news is carrots are absolute overachievers in the kitchen. Roast them, and they go deeply savoury, caramelised, even a little jammy, becoming the kind of vegetable that makes you feel like you’ve got your life together.

But give them butter, sugar or spice and they’ll happily wander across into dessert like it was always part of the plan.

Few ingredients cross the sweet-savoury border with quite this level of confidence. Apples dabble, pumpkin shows up occasionally, but carrots just breeze through Customs like they know exactly where their passports are at all times.

These recipes lean right into that versatility. There are carrots roasted until they slump and sweeten, carrots bringing colour and crunch where things need a lift, and carrots leaning so hard into their natural sugars they take carrot cake to new heights.

It’s the kind of cooking that starts with a very inexpensive bag of vegetables and ends with something that tastes far more impressive than the receipt suggests. If you’ve accidentally bought a heroic quantity of carrots lately, these are for you.

Spiced honey and parmesan carrot skewers with salsa verde

The honey-roasted carrots of our childhoods have officially received a much-needed glow-up. These are ridiculously moreish, but the real joy is in the prep. I recommend using steel skewers – not just because they’re oven-friendly, but because there is something alarmingly therapeutic about stabbing the carrots like a voodoo doll of your worst enemy.

When serving, make sure you scrape up every drop of those roasting juices and the gnarly, chewy, caramelised parmesan bits from the pan. They only add to the deliciousness.

If you don’t have the energy for making salsa verde, a decent store-bought one would serve you well here.

INGREDIENTS

• 600g small-medium carrots, peeled and cut into even-sized pieces
• 125g (½ cup) salsa verde to serve
• 40g (½ cup) finely grated parmesan

Marinade

• ¼ cup olive oil
• 4 tbsp honey
• ½ tbsp ground cumin
• ½ tbsp ground coriander
• ½ tbsp Aleppo pepper
• ½ tbsp dried oregano

METHOD

1. Preheat the oven to 170C fan-forced (190C conventional).
2. Line a large, flat baking tray with baking paper. Add the marinade ingredients to a small bowl and stir to combine. Season generously with sea salt flakes.
3. Thread the carrot pieces onto your skewers – perfection is not the goal here, though similarly sized pieces will help them cook evenly. Arrange the skewers on the tray and spoon over the marinade, ensuring they are well-coated.
4. Shower them with the finely grated parmesan and roast for 30–40 minutes, or until the carrots are tender and look gloriously caramelised.
5. Scrape any remaining cooking liquid and those gnarly, caramelised bits of parmy from the tray directly onto the carrots. Season generously with sea salt flakes, finish with a final drizzle of olive oil, and serve.

Serves 4 as a side dish

Chermoula, carrot and chickpea salad

On a recent trip to Paris, I became obsessed with carrot salads. The freshness, the crunch and the sweetness are highly addictive. This version takes a smokier, spicier turn, resulting in a glorious autumnal salad that holds its own against any grilled protein. You’ll have a little chermoula left over – consider it a gift. It’s just as transformative stirred into butter as it is dolloped onto fried eggs.

INGREDIENTS

• 3 carrots, grated
• 1 x 400g can chickpeas, drained and rinsed
• 1 cup coriander leaves
• 3-4 dried dates, finely chopped

Chermoula (makes 2 cups)

• 1 tbsp cumin seeds, toasted in a dry pan until fragrant, then crushed
• 1 tbsp coriander seeds, toasted in a dry pan until fragrant, then crushed
• 1 preserved lemon, skin only, rinsed and pulp discarded
• 1 cup flat-leaf (Italian) parsley leaves
• small bunch coriander (plus the stems from the salad)
• 375ml extra virgin olive oil
• 8 garlic cloves, peeled
• 4 tsp Aleppo pepper
• 2 tsp sweet smoked paprika
• 2 tsp salt
• 2 tsp sumac
• 1 tsp turmeric
• pinch of brown sugar

METHOD

1. To make the chermoula: Add all the ingredients to a food processor and blitz until combined but still a little chunky. Taste and adjust the seasoning. This recipe makes more than you’ll need for the salad; store any leftovers in a jar in the fridge for up to two weeks.
2. To assemble the salad: In a large bowl, combine the carrot, chickpeas, coriander leaves and dates. Gradually add the chermoula – starting with about half – and toss to coat. Continue adding a spoonful at a time until the carrot is just glistening rather than drowning. Taste and adjust as you go; you’re looking for a light, even coating.

Serves 4 as a side dish

One-bowl cardamom and molasses carrot cake

I love a one-bowl cake. One that doesn’t require a mixer whirring on the bench or any over-enthusiastic arm workouts on my behalf. This is a dump-stir-and-pour sort of cake, and she is deeply spiced and glorious. Yes, I know the ground cardamom seems heavy-handed, but you just don’t taste it otherwise. And I am heavy-handed with my spices, always and forever.

INGREDIENTS

• 400g grated carrot (about 6 small-medium carrots)
• 60ml molasses
• 200g caster sugar
• 100g brown sugar
• 150ml vegetable oil
• 50ml buttermilk
• 4 large eggs
• 1 tbsp vanilla bean paste
• 250g low-protein cake flour
• 2½ tsp baking powder
• 2 tbsp ground cardamom
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• 1 tsp ground cloves
• 70g (⅓ cup) dried cranberries
• 70g (½ cup) pistachios, coarsely chopped

Cream cheese frosting

• 500g cream cheese, room temperature
• ½ cup icing sugar
• 1 tbsp vanilla bean paste
• 2 tsp ground cardamom

To serve

• edible flowers, optional (see note)
• crisp pearls, optional (see note)

METHOD

1. Preheat the oven to 170C fan-forced (190C conventional). Grease and line a rectangular 20cm x 25cm cake tin.
2. In a large bowl, stir together the carrot, molasses, brown sugar, oil, buttermilk, eggs and vanilla until well combined. Sift in the flour, baking powder and spices, stirring until just combined. Fold in the cranberries and pistachios, then pour the batter into the prepared tin.
3. Bake for 30–45 minutes. If your oven tends to run hot, treat your cake like a needy toddler: start hovering at the 30-minute mark. Insert a skewer or toothpick into the centre; it should come out clean or with a few moist crumbs attached. If you see wet batter, give it another 5 minutes.
4. Let the cake cool completely in the pan (or on a wire rack) before icing.
5. For the icing, add the ingredients to a bowl and beat vigorously until fully incorporated and the mixture appears fluffy. Spread generously over the cake. Scatter with edible flowers and crisp pearls, if using.
6. Cut into squares or diamonds, wiping the knife between cuts, and serve at room temperature.

Makes 20–28 pieces

NOTE:

Decorating: Edible flowers and crisp pearls are available from specialist grocers and delis – I often find mine at Harris Farm stores (NSW/Qld).

Storage: If you have the discipline, this cake lasts a good three days, covered, in the fridge. Just be sure to bring it to room temperature before serving. I firmly believe that cold cake is a crime (unless it’s an ice-cream cake).