Roasted Carrots With Yaji Spice Relish Recipe (2024)

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KR

Yaji naturally has a sweet, smoky earthiness to it! You can certainly try with almonds but I would recommend 21/2 tsp of paprika to compensate. I'd suggest using whole toasted almonds

Nina from Oakland

Scrumptious! Added all the Yaji spice ingredients directly into the relish with no problem (improvised with some lemongrass I had in the freezer for additional flavor.) Used dragon carrots (dark burgundy with orange and light yellow centers) mixed with standard orange for a great show. Will definitely make it again. I have been looking for an easy yet showy way to use my garden carrots. Perfect compliment for my roast chicken for Shabbat dinner.

ekb

With a peanut allergy in the house, could we substitute almonds? If I already have powdered almonds, would I use a quarter cup of it, or less?

hating spinach in davis ca

I was pretty hesitant about this one — I mean, it’s carrots, right? But, man, those are some tasty carrots.

Megan

Delicious! I used golden beets last week because that's what I had and everyone in my household loved them. Just made the original version with carrots and it was equally delicious. This is going in the regular rotation.

Chi-cook

This was quite tasty, but having to make yaji spice our first time around, plus with the carrot prep and then the dressing prep while the carrots roasted, it was a lot of work for a side dish. Still, we will likely put our stash of yaji to use in making this again. It is just that special a way to prepare carrots.(For us, the carrots needed 5 more minutes in the oven to go from crunchy to al dente.)

P Weeksie

LOVED this recipe. Even the leftovers are delicious!

Chantal

I made this as part of our Canadian Thanksgiving spread. My husband said that this was his favourite part of the meal. I enjoyed making it and wasn't familiar with Yaji. We had it heated up the next day and it was delicious. Will definitely make again.

Cheryl Morrison

Absolutely delicious! I will?make this again and again. Can't wait to try yah I spice in other dishes.

Marcy

This is soooo good. Even stu liked it. Made it in San Juan

Chaya

This recipe is wonderfully flavorful and versatile too!Made it with the original carrots, thentried it with butternut and robin’s koginut squashes with great results. It’s nice served over a thick dab of homemade labneh.

Linda

I used about 2 1/2 pounds of carrots but made all the relish. I did cut the spice mixture in half. Served this for a dinner party and the carrots disappeared! Used some of the leftover relish on roasted chicken. It was a phenomenal dish and a great way to use my carrots from winter storage.

Lance

This was very good - characterful, and it came together exactly as the recipe promised. For me, it was a welcome new way to prepare carrots! Served with rice and lemony arugula for a pleasant dinner.

Jefair

Oops. I just wrote a note about the four basic yaji ingredients. How could I have left out the fifth essential one -- ground jot pepper! Cayenne is fine. So five: peanuts, ginger, salt, Maggi cubes, and hot pepper!

Jefair

Yaji, the powder, is a garnish from Hausa parts of Northern Nigeria and southern Niger Republic. The instructions for making at the bottom of the recipe are fine. But for a variant, try the four yaji ingredients ubiquitous there: peanuts, powdered ginger, salt, and Maggi cubes. Sometimes "authentic" is processed! (Smoked paprika, onion powder, and garlic powder are unknown in Hausa villages, but Maggi cubes have been in every market for a very long time. They're in American groceries too.)

Deb Branner

Made this for our Thanksgiving fare yesterday and... Yum! I'm going to add to my pantry items so I'm ready to try with other roasted root veggies and/or winter squash. Thanks!

KJ

I could eat this relish with a spoon. My carrots are still in the oven, but I’m so excited!

Chi-cook

This was quite tasty, but having to make yaji spice our first time around, plus with the carrot prep and then the dressing prep while the carrots roasted, it was a lot of work for a side dish. Still, we will likely put our stash of yaji to use in making this again. It is just that special a way to prepare carrots.(For us, the carrots needed 5 more minutes in the oven to go from crunchy to al dente.)

Cheryl Morrison

Absolutely delicious! I will?make this again and again. Can't wait to try yah I spice in other dishes.

Don

What other vegetables would this be good with?

Laine Freeman

I would try it with parsnips, a carrot cousin. Sweeter then carrots when cooked. They are best if cooked to a soft texture rather than al dente.

Chantal

I made this as part of our Canadian Thanksgiving spread. My husband said that this was his favourite part of the meal. I enjoyed making it and wasn't familiar with Yaji. We had it heated up the next day and it was delicious. Will definitely make again.

Megan

Delicious! I used golden beets last week because that's what I had and everyone in my household loved them. Just made the original version with carrots and it was equally delicious. This is going in the regular rotation.

hating spinach in davis ca

I was pretty hesitant about this one — I mean, it’s carrots, right? But, man, those are some tasty carrots.

kathy g

Super intriguing recipe! Not sure where it went wrong but overkill on the lemon zest. Prefer amounts in spoon sizes rather than juice and zest from 1 lemon and _ inch grated ginger. Too much variance. Carrots burned a bit. Won’t make again.

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Roasted Carrots With Yaji Spice Relish Recipe (2024)

FAQs

Should you boil carrots before roasting? ›

There is, however, a trick to getting roasted carrots right. Undercook them, and the texture is tough and dense. Overcook them, and they're dry and wrinkled. The secret is to soften the carrots slightly by boiling them briefly before roasting.

Can you parboil carrots? ›

How to Pre-Cook Carrots. Par-boiling means to partially boil or partially cook your carrots by boiling them for a short time. I only boil these for a couple of minutes; you don't want them fully cooked when you par-boil. You want them partially cooked so that you can finish them off by roasting them.

What happens if you don't peel carrots before roasting? ›

Because a carrot's skin isn't as thick as other root vegetables (like potatoes) or winter squashes, carrots are perfectly safe and delicious to eat without peeling so long as they are properly cleaned. When it comes down to it, peeling carrots or keeping the skin on is a matter of personal preference.

Why are my roast carrots soggy? ›

Too much oil and your veggies will turn out soggy and dense. But skimp on that oil and those vegetables will be too dry. Luckily, it's easy to find Goldilocks' just right amount. The solution: Before hitting the sheet pan, place the vegetables in a large bowl and add a tablespoon of oil.

Should you peel carrots before boiling? ›

Bottom Line. Whether you decide to peel a carrot or not is up to you. From our tests, there is perhaps only one time when it makes sense to always peel; that is, when you're steaming. The peel of steamed carrots can be tough, dry, and extra chewy.

Should I salt the water when boiling carrots? ›

Salt in the cooking water seasons the carrots as they cook, which makes them tastier than carrots that have merely received a superficial postcook sprinkle. Finishing touches of fat, acid, herbs, and spices make these simple side dishes a complement to any meal.

Is it better to boil vegetables before roasting? ›

Blanching the veggies before roasting them may allow you to have less salt on the vegetables and for them to caramelize a bit nicely without burning. Sometimes I have burned vegetables when roasting them until they were tender. So try this — enjoy the bounty.

How do you soften carrots before cooking? ›

Place the carrots in boiling water. Blanch the carrots for 5 minutes, starting when the water returns to a boil. Drain the hot water and run cold water over the carrots for 4 to 5 minutes. Or you can microwave the carrots in a bowl with water and covered with a lid or a plate on high for 2 minutes.

Why are my baked carrots hard? ›

If your carrots are hard, it's probably because you haven't roasted them long enough or at a high enough temperature. I roast mine at 400°F for 35 to 38 minutes until tender. It's also really important to cut them into the same size so they cook evenly.

Why do you boil carrots? ›

Beta-carotene is a fat-soluble vitamin which is not lost even at high temperatures. When carrots are cooked, the cell walls of the plant tissues soften, making it easier for our digestive system to assimilate beta-carotene. You can either cook the carrots after chopping, slicing and even after making a puree.

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