Shawarma-Spiced Carrots

Name: Shawarma-Spiced Carrots
Cook time: 40 min
Total time: 40 min
Cuisine: Tanzanian
Ingredients: ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon*; ½ teaspoon ground coriander*; ½ teaspoon ground cumin*; ½ teaspoon ground turmeric*; ½ teaspoon sweet paprika*; ¼ teaspoon freshly cracked black pepper*; ⅛ teaspoon ground cardamom*; ⅛ teaspoon ground cloves*; 2 garlic cloves, finely grated; ¼ cup (60 ml) olive oil; 1½ pounds (680 g) medium carrots,* trimmed, halved lengthwise; 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice, plus more as needed; 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil, divided; 1 tablespoon Diamond Crystal kosher salt, divided; 1 small red onion, thinly sliced; 7 Medjool dates, pitted, roughly chopped; 2 jalapeños, seeds removed, roughly chopped; 1 cup (30 to 50 g) roughly chopped tender herbs (such as cilantro, dill, or parsley); 1 cup (30 to 50 g) roughly chopped tender herbs (such as cilantro, dill, or parsley); 1 cup (30 to 50 g) roughly chopped tender herbs (such as cilantro, dill, or parsley); 1 cup (30 to 50 g) roughly chopped tender herbs (such as cilantro, dill, or parsley); Individual spices, use 1 tablespoon store-bought shawarma spice blend; Individual spices, use 1 tablespoon store-bought shawarma spice blend; Carrots, use chopped parsnips or sweet potatoes (add about 10 minutes to the roast time); Carrots, use chopped parsnips or sweet potatoes (add about 10 minutes to the roast time); Carrots, use chopped parsnips or sweet potatoes (add about 10 minutes to the roast time); Labneh, use plain whole-milk Greek yogurt; Labneh, use plain whole-milk Greek yogurt

Preparation info

Serves
4 to 6

Difficulty
Easy
Ready in
40 min

Appears in

Third Culture Cooking

By Zaynab Issa

Published 2025

About

A winner from the Ramadan story I worked on for Bon Appétit back in 2022 (Date and Dark Chocolate Cookies, are also from this story), this veggie side dish works well for a multitude of reasons. The shawarma spice blend in combination with the sweet, crisp-tender carrots is surprisingly delightful, and the firm but succulent texture from the high-heat roast keeps this from feeling like glorified baby food. The juicy herb salad on top is my favorite part, m

Ingredients

Sub-Saharan Africa
Tanzania
Side dish
Vegan
Gluten-free
Ramadan

Ingredients

Method