Steam-Roasted Carrots with Cumin Recipe on Food52 (2024)

Steam

by: Kenzi Wilbur

February18,2014

5

7 Ratings

  • Serves 4

Jump to Recipe

Author Notes

If you don't have any of these spices, or if you don't want to use them, skip them. The beauty of this recipe is in the method -- adding water right before you roast, and covering the pan -- so feel free to swap spices and play. Make it something new.

I like to add these carrots to grain salads, vegetable ones, or eat them all on their own.

This recipe is adapted from April Bloomfield's A Girl and Her Pig. —Kenzi Wilbur

  • Test Kitchen-Approved

What You'll Need

Ingredients
  • 4 medium garlic cloves, minced
  • Flaky sea salt
  • 3/4 teaspoonground cumin
  • 3/4 teaspoonground coriander
  • 1/8 teaspoonred chile flakes, or more to taste
  • 3 tablespoonsolive oil
  • 30 or so young carrots, scrubbed and left unpeeled (1 pound)
  • 1/4 cupwater
  • A handful of small, delicate cilantro sprigs
Directions
  1. Preheat the oven to 400° F.
  2. If you have any crazy large carrots, cut them in half lengthwise -- you want everything to roast at more or less the same rate.
  3. Put the minced garlic in a large mixing bowl along with the cumin, coriander, chilies, and the olive oil. Stir well.
  4. Add the carrots and toss well -- I like to do this part with my hands -- so they’re thoroughly coated. Add a big, three-finger pinch of salt. (If you're using kosher salt, just scale back slightly.)
  5. Put the carrots in a large shallow baking dish in one layer. (Alternately, just use two smaller dishes.) Make sure you scrape out all of the extra oil and spices, too. While tilting your baking dish, pour the water into one fairly clear corner. Then tip it back onto the counter, so the water spreads out evenly and the carrots don't lose their spicy coating. Cover the dish tightly with foil and put it in the oven.
  6. Cook the carrots for 25 minutes, then remove the foil and cook for an additional 25 to 30 minutes, or until they're browned and soft, but not so much that they're falling apart.
  7. Serve warm, as a side, part of a salad, or anything you like.

Tags:

  • Middle Eastern
  • Carrot
  • Coriander
  • Cumin
  • Vegetable
  • Steam
  • Fall
  • Christmas
  • Winter
  • Gluten-Free
  • Side

See what other Food52ers are saying.

  • Miss_Karen

  • Pamela Tiberius

  • Nichola

  • hardlikearmour

  • EmilyC

Popular on Food52

23 Reviews

Miss_Karen November 5, 2021

I used rainbow carrots! - Good Fall colors🙂
I had to sub parsley for cilantro (because I think cilantro vile.) Otherwise, made it as is. SNARF!

Aimee July 7, 2020

One of my all time favorite carrot dishes!

Pamela T. July 4, 2020

The only change I made was to cook the carrots a little less. The savory of the cumin complimented the sweetness Everyone liked them. I will definitely add this one to my favorites.

lizclaytonfuller October 19, 2018

Made these last night for my family and they were a huge hit! I added onions in with the carrots and used harissa and honey for the spices - they were wonderful. I will never cook carrots any other way!

Ghazzzit May 15, 2016

These are fantastic! Great texture and flavor.

Nichola September 11, 2015

My partner HATES the texture of most cooked vegetables, but he constantly asks for these carrots now as a side for everything. Thank you very much for the amazing recipe!

cpc April 6, 2015

The first time I made this I wasn't impressed and not terribly fond of cumin/carrot combo even though I like cumin. Based on others comments, I decided to alter the spices and instead used 3/4 teaspoon each of coriander and allspice and 1/4 teaspoon of ground ginger (could have used more) and then added 1 tablespoon of pomegranate molasses to the oil spice mixture. I liked the flavour much better and the low maintenance recipe is so easy I used it for Easter.

fearlessem January 21, 2015

Love cumin with roasted carrots -- and the recipe I use has me parboil them first -- I like how this serves the same function in one pan! I highly recommend adding sliced avocado, cilantro, and lime to the carrots when they have cooled to room temp -- it is an amazing combination!

hardlikearmour November 12, 2014

This is one of my go-to sides. My current spin is to toss the carrots with garam masala and slice up some onion to add to the mix. LOVE!

EmilyC October 17, 2014

Used this technique for Brussels sprouts. Tossed them with olive oil, Aleppo, sea salt and honey. So good!

Kenzi W. October 17, 2014

You genius, you.

EmilyC October 17, 2014

Haha -- not hard to seem genius when working from genius! This technique is so cool.

Tarragon October 15, 2014

These were excellent and quite versatile, I made them 2 days in a row. On the second day I cut regular carrots into 2 inch chunks. I think this would be a good way to roast broccoli when one uses the entire stalk as well as the florettes.

EmilyC October 17, 2014

Great idea for broccoli! Will have to try.

EmilyC May 12, 2014

These were my contribution to Mother's Day dinner. So, so good. Love the steam-roasting technique, one that I look forward to trying with other vegetables as well.

hardlikearmour May 5, 2014

I finally made these. I added some radishes to the roasting party, and went with ras el hanout. Beyond delicious!

Tereza March 5, 2014

These would make such a beautiful side! Love the inspiration. I also love adding honey for a little extra sweetness.

http://lifeandcity.tumblr.com

Debra R. March 2, 2014

These were delicious. Cooked carrot-hating husband even raved about these tasty treats.

Matilde March 1, 2014

i looooveeed it! paired it with "requeijão" (a portuguese cheese that somewhat resembles ricotta or cottage cheese) and parsley instead of cilantro. perfect!

Mulzee February 20, 2014

I just made these tonight and they were delicious. I did 50 minutes total cooking time and they were perfectly browned and still a tad crunchy. I'm curious to try this cooking method but with caramelised onions and a bit of brown sugar! Will definitely be making these again. Thanks!

Jenali February 19, 2014

I was thinking about how I want to use the carrots I already have for a side dish. I'm so glad I stumbled upon this recipe. I will be trying it tonight!

hardlikearmour February 18, 2014

Kenzi, these carrots look absolutely delicious!

Kenzi W. February 18, 2014

Shhhh I'll tell you all about them tomorrow! :) (But so glad you think so -- they're my new favorite.)

Steam-Roasted Carrots with Cumin  Recipe on Food52 (2024)

FAQs

Should you boil carrots before roasting them? ›

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. If you don't par cook the carrots, they will cook faster on the outside than the inside when they are in the oven.

Can you steam vegetables and then roast them? ›

Like steam-frying, you have two paths for steam-roasting: You can first steam your veg until tender with ½ cup of water on a foil-covered baking sheet; carefully tip out any excess liquid, toss with oil, salt, and pepper, and roast uncovered (this method prioritizes crispy edges).

Is it better to steam or boil carrots? ›

Steaming is a healthy option for cooking vegetables like carrots since it does not require large amounts of oil for cooking.

Why are my roasted carrots not getting soft? ›

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. The texture will be firm-tender with just the right amount of caramelization on the outside.

Do you add seasoning before or after steaming vegetables? ›

Always season steamed vegetables AFTER cooking. If you season vegetables before steaming, that delicious seasoning will all end of up on the bottom of your steamer!

What is the most common mistake when cooking vegetables with steam? ›

You want there to be a few inches of space between the water level and the bottom of your basket or bamboo steamer (per Today). Letting your food touch the water is a common steaming mistake; Epicurious suggests using just an inch of water for vegetable steaming.

Should I season vegetables before or after roasting? ›

Because salt draws moisture out of the food, season veggies just before roasting. Place vegetables hot side down when applicable. Ideally, roast different vegetables separately since they all cook at different times. You can combine them together afterwards!

Is it better to boil vegetables before roasting? ›

Sometimes I've burned vegetables when roasting them until they were tender. Blanching veggies before roasting them allows them to caramelize a bit without burning.

Does carrot need to be boiled? ›

No, it's not necessary. However, many nutritionists say that cooking them (not boiling them to mush) makes the nutrients more accessible. I don't know, I just like them either way. However, when I was a child (I'm now 82), my grandmother had a way of cooking carrots that was anything BUT healthy!

Why are my carrots still hard in the oven? ›

If your carrots are still hard, then they are likely undercooked.

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.

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