Terry’s Turkish Carrot Salad

I LOVE this salad so I am naming it after myself! Strange, because I am not the biggest fan of just eating a carrot. It was not until recent years that I would eat a whole carrot, having made my way up from those cute little baby carrots! In fact, I never ate plain yogurt either, until I met my husband who actually makes his own!

What makes this salad really special to me is the addition of fresh dill, and not just a little either! I chop a lot of it and sprinkle it in! Before this, I only used dill on salmon!

The salad is lovely served with any meat. I also eat it alone. Today I had it for lunch with olive bread. In Turkey, it is usually served at places where one goes to drink and eaten while drinking Rakı, a Turkish anise-flavored alcohol similar to Ouzo or Sambuca.

The recipe is simple. Having reviewed a few other recipes online, I find A Seasonal Cook in Turkey‘s technique to be the best method for me. She cooks the shredded carrot over low heat and does not cover it with a lid. I completely agree with this because most at-home cooks have a tendency to walk away from the stove. You want to see the carrots cooking and “sweat” the carrots, not brown them.

A Seasonal Cook in Turkey is one of my go-to blogs for Turkish cooking. Another favorite is My Traveling Joys (formerly My Turkish Joys). Both authors seem to understand my love, fears, and frustrations as a foreigner cooking here! Another favorite is Ozlem’s Turkish Table. She is a Turk who has lived abroad and can easily explain the similarities and differences of Turkish cooking. A big bonus is they all have step-by-step instructions and fabulous photos.

For this recipe, I followed the ingredients of the recipe from Almost Turkish Recipes and as I mentioned, the technique from A Seasonal Cook.

As with many of my recipes, the amount of ingredients do not matter!! Add more or less of what you like or don’t like!

Yoğurtlu Havuç Salatası

serves 2 to 3 people

4 cups of grated carrot
1 cup plain yogurt (Greek style in the U.S. is perfect for this)
1-2 cloves of garlic, minced
2 Tbsp olive oil
3-4 tbsp finely chopped fresh dill
salt
1 Tbsp mayonnaise (optional)

Heat oil in a skillet and add grated carrots.
Cook on low heat. Stir frequently until carrots are wilted, but be careful not to brown them.
Turn off heat. You may continue to sweat the carrots at this point by covering with a lid.
Place carrots in a bowl with yogurt, garlic, dill, and salt. Mix well.
Serve with crusty bread or with any kind of meat.