Tunisian
Gluten free
SpicyOmek houria
Mashed carrot salad with harissa
Omek houria: Tunis's mashed carrot salad with garlic, caraway and harissa, topped with olives and egg
Nobody quite agrees why this salad is called mother of Houria, but every Tunis household knows it as one of the small dishes that open a meal, set out with bread, olives and brik during Ramadan or at a Sunday lunch. Carrots are boiled soft, crushed with a fork rather than puréed, and seasoned boldly with garlic, ground caraway, harissa, vinegar and good olive oil, so the sweetness of the carrot sits under a garlicky, warm heat. It is finished with black olives and wedges of hard-boiled egg and eaten at room temperature, scooped up with crusty bread. This version is vegetarian; some cooks add tuna on top. Chef's tip: dress the carrots while still warm; they soak up the oil and vinegar far better than cold ones.
- Prep
- 10 min
- Cook
- 20 min
- Difficulty
- Easy
- Serves
- 4
- Per serving
- 210 kcal
Ingredients
- 1 ⅓ lb carrotspeeled, cut into chunks
- 2 garlic clovescrushed with a pinch of salt
- 1 tsp ground caraway
- ½ tsp ground coriander
- 1 tbsp harissa pastemore to taste
- 1 tbsp white wine vinegar
- 4 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- ¾ tsp salt
To finish
- 2 eggs
- 12 black olives
- 1 tbsp flat-leaf parsley (optional)chopped
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Method
0/5 doneStep 1: Put 1 ⅓ lb carrots in a pan of salted cold water, bring to the boil and simmer for 15–20 minutes, until a knife slides through with no resistance.
18 minStep 2: Meanwhile, lower 2 eggs into a small pan of boiling water and boil for 10 minutes, then cool in cold water and peel.
10 minStep 3: Drain the carrots very well and leave them in the colander for 3 minutes to steam dry. A common mistake is mashing them wet, which gives a watery salad; let the steam escape first.
3 minStep 4: Crush the warm carrots with a fork into a coarse mash. Mix in 2 garlic cloves, 1 tsp ground caraway, ½ tsp ground coriander, 1 tbsp harissa paste, 1 tbsp white wine vinegar, 3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil and ¾ tsp salt. Taste: it should be garlicky with a clear hit of heat.
Step 5: Spread on a plate, make swirls with the back of a spoon and drizzle with the rest of 1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil. Top with the eggs cut into quarters, 12 black olives and 1 tbsp flat-leaf parsley. Serve at room temperature with bread.
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 210 kcal
- Protein
- 5 g
- Carbs
- 13 g
- Fat
- 16 g
- Fibre
- 4 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does omek houria take?
- About 30 minutes in total: 10 minutes to prepare and 20 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 4 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- Is it vegetarian?
- Yes. It has no meat or fish.
- 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.
- What can I use instead of carrots?
- Parsnip or sweet potato, same weight.
- What can I use instead of garlic cloves?
- ½ tsp garlic paste or ⅛ tsp garlic powder per clove.
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