Havuç tarator is a Turkish carrot yogurt dip you can serve as an appetizer or with other small plates, like warm pita bread and bazlama, as part of a mezze.
Key Ingredients
- Olive Oil: Use high-quality olive oil to saute the carrots.
- Carrots: Sautéing the grated carrots before adding them to the dish draws out their natural sweetness to flavor the dip, but some recipes use grated zucchini instead.
- Yogurt: Traditional recipes call for süzme yoğurt, a thick, strained yogurt. It’s hard to find in mainstream grocery stores, but you can often find them at local Turkish or Middle Eastern grocery stores. If you can’t find süzme, use thick, store-bought Greek yogurt, labneh, or prepare homemade strained yogurt (see my instructions for straining cheese below).
- Garlic: I suggest using four garlic cloves, but measure with your heart.
- Walnuts: Garnish the dip with chopped walnuts for a bit of textural variation.
Additions and Substitutions
- Go nuts. Swap out the chopped walnuts for pecans, pine nuts, or crushed pistachios.
- Garnish the dip. Finish the dip with toasted walnuts, pine nuts, fresh lemon juice, or a drizzle of extra-virgin olive oil. Fresh herbs like dill or parsley are a great addition, or you can sprinkle spices like sumac, red pepper flakes, or paprika.
How to Make havuç tarator
The full recipe with measurements is in the recipe card below.
Step 1: Warm the olive oil in a saute pan over medium heat. Add grated carrots and kosher salt. Saute until they become tender, for 8-10 minutes.
Step 2: Meanwhile, combine the strained yogurt and garlic in a serving bowl.
Step 3: Transfer the sautéed carrots and walnuts to the serving bowl and stir to combine.
How to Strain Yogurt
If you only have access to plain yogurt, learning how to strain it will save you a trip to the store. Süzme yoğurt is a variation of yogurt hung in muslin cheeseloth to remove the excess moisture, resulting in a thick and creamy yogurt.
- Line a colander with a few layers of cheesecloth or paper coffee filters. Place it over a large bowl suspended to catch the liquid that strains out.
- Scoop the plain yogurt onto the cloth. Cover with plastic wrap and transfer it to the refrigerator.
- Let the yogurt strain for 5-6 hours. The longer it strains, the thicker it will become as more whey (the watery liquid) drains out.
- Check on the yogurt every so often. Once it reaches your desired consistency, discard the collected whey from the bowl (or save it for something else) and use the thick yogurt in your recipe.
Expert Tips
- Prepare the carrots. Use a food processor with a grate attachment to reduce the preparation time, or shred the carrots by hand using a cheese grater or mandolin. You can also skip the work and buy a bag of pre-shredded carrots.
Serving Suggestions
Serve havuç tarator on a Turkish mezze with vegetable crudites, tahini yogurt sauce, marinated olives, beetroot dip, dolmas, warm pita or a Turkish flatbread called bazlama. A mezze is a perfect way to entertain guests and shake up the dinner rotation. However you decide to enjoy the dip, here are a few of my favorite meals to pair it with.
Storage
Store leftover havuç tarator in an airtight container for 2-3 days.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I prepare the salad in advance?
If you’re short on time, I recommend preparing the carrots the day before. Remove them from the fridge 30 minutes before you’re ready to serve to come to room temperature. Then, combine the carrots with the other ingredients.
How can I garnish havuç tarator?
• Olive Oil
• Toasted Walnuts, Pine Nuts
• Dill, Parsley
• Lemon
• Paprika, Red Pepper Flakes
• Sumac
More Carrot Recipes:
havuç tarator (Turkish Carrot Dip)
- 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for garnish
- 8 medium carrots, peeled and grated
- ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
- ⅓ cup Greek yogurt, strained
- 4 garlic cloves, finely minced
- 3 tablespoons walnuts, crushed
- Warm the olive oil in a saute pan over medium heat. Add grated carrots and kosher salt. Saute until they become tender, for 8-10 minutes.
- Meanwhile, combine the strained yogurt and garlic in a serving bowl.
- Transfer the sautéed carrots and walnuts to the serving bowl and stir to combine.
- Prepare the carrots. Use a food processor with a grate attachment to reduce the preparation time, or shred the carrots by hand using a cheese grater or mandolin. You can also skip the work and buy a bag of pre-shredded carrots.