This is one of my go to salads whenever we are having a BBQ, dinner party or when I have a couple of carrots left over that need eating up. Have it as part of a salad for lunch or a side at a buffet dinner. It takes 5 mins to make and lasts for a couple of days in the fridge. I love carrots – they keep well and are really sweet. They pair well with a lots of different herbs and flavours. Roast them, steam them, stick ‘em in a stew… or in this case simply grate them raw! 

Buying the best ingredients:

When buying carrots, go for medium sized carrots that are fresh looking. Mud on your root veg helps keep them fresh for longer and sprouting leaves should be healthy looking and not limp. Hopefully this will help you get the sweetest and most flavourful carrots, with the highest nutritional value. You can also experiment with different coloured carrots if you can find them! 

Instructions:

1. To start, coarsely grate two or three carrots. 
2. Juice 1/2 a lemon.
3. Finley chop a few coriander leaves.
4. Crush 1tsp of cumin seeds in a pestle and mortar or by chopping roughly with a knife.
5. Combine all of the ingredients in your most beautiful bowl. 
6. Season with salt and pepper.

Get creative: 

This is a very rough recipe because I want you to experiment with the flavours to make it your own. Want it spicy? – add some chilli flakes. Want it sweeter? – add raisins. Want it more citrusy? – try adding lemon, orange or lime zest. Want it more salty? – add a little crumble of feta cheese. Make this your own, based on what you like and what’s in your fridge. 

How to make this dish a full meal:

• With tagine and cous cous.
• With roasted aubergine, a green salad and a tahini dressing.
• With lamb kofta, flatbreads and hummus.
• On toast, with feta.
• In a a bagel, with cream cheese.
• As a side for a burger.
• … or just out of the fridge with a spoon – Nigella style!