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Morkovcha
Spicy Korean-style carrot salad
Morkovcha (морковча): Koryo-saram spicy carrot salad with hot oil, garlic, coriander and chilli
Koreans deported to Central Asia in 1937, the Koryo-saram, could not find napa cabbage for kimchi, so they shredded carrots instead, and the result spread to every market in Russia, where it is still sold by weight as "Korean carrots". Thin strands of raw carrot are salted, sharpened with vinegar and garlic, then dressed with sizzling oil poured over ground coriander and chilli. It is crunchy, sweet, sour and hot all at once, and it sits happily beside boiled potatoes, plov or a zakuski board. A common mistake is cutting the carrots too thick: they need to be long, matchstick-fine strands so the dressing soaks in. Pass the onion through the oil to flavour it, then lift it out. Chef's tip: leave it in the fridge overnight; by the next day the carrots soften slightly and taste twice as good.
- Total time
- 20 min
- Difficulty
- easy
- Serves
- 6
Ingredients
- 1 ⅛ lb carrotscut into long fine julienne
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 tsp sugar
- 2 tbsp white wine or rice vinegar
- 3 cloves garliccrushed
- 1 ½ tsp ground coriander
- 1 tsp hot chilli flakes
- ½ tsp sweet paprika
- ¼ cup sunflower oil
- ½ onionsliced
- 1 tsp toasted sesame seeds (optional)
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Method
0/5 doneStep 2: Mix in the 2 tbsp white wine or rice vinegar and 3 cloves garlic, then pile the 1 ½ tsp ground coriander, 1 tsp hot chilli flakes and ½ tsp sweet paprika in a small heap in the centre of the carrots.
2 minStep 3: Heat the ¼ cup sunflower oil in a small pan over a medium heat and fry the ½ onion for 4–5 minutes, until deep golden. Lift out the onion and discard it.
5 minStep 4: Pour the hot oil straight onto the spice heap; it should sizzle and smell toasty. Toss everything well.
1 minStep 5: Cover and chill in the fridge for at least 1 hour, ideally overnight. Sprinkle with 1 tsp toasted sesame seeds and serve cold; it keeps for 4 days.
60 min
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 150 kcal
- Protein
- 1 g
- Carbs
- 9 g
- Fat
- 13 g
- Fibre
- 3 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does morkovcha take?
- About 20 minutes in total: 15 minutes to prepare and 5 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 6 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- Is it vegan?
- Yes. It has no meat, fish, dairy or eggs.
- Is it gluten free?
- Yes, as written. Check the labels on stock, sauces and spice mixes, which sometimes contain gluten.
- Is it very spicy?
- It has some heat. Use less chilli for a milder version, or more if you like it hot.
- Can I make it ahead?
- Yes. It keeps well, so you can cook it earlier in the day or the day before and reheat it.
- What can I use instead of carrots?
- Parsnip or sweet potato, same weight.
- What can I use instead of sugar?
- Caster sugar, same amount.
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