Description
Korean cuisine offers this spicy carrot salad as a zesty side dish with complex flavors. Crunchy julienned carrots tossed in garlic, chili, and aromatic spices create a perfect accompaniment you’ll crave alongside main dishes.
Ingredients
Scale
- 1000 g / 2.2 lb carrots, julienned
- 1 large onion, diced
- 5 cloves garlic, peeled & pressed
- 2 tsp kosher salt
- 1 tbsp granulated sugar
- 2 tsp smoked paprika
- ¼–½ tsp cayenne pepper
- 1 tsp ground coriander seeds
- 1 tsp freshly ground black pepper
- 3–4 tbsps white vinegar
- ⅔ cup light olive oil (or any neutral oil)
Instructions
- Prep Carrots: Create slender matchstick-shaped strips using a julienne slicer or sharp chef’s knife, ensuring precise, uniform cuts.
- Season Mixture: Combine julienned carrots with white vinegar, kosher salt, sugar, smoked paprika, cayenne pepper, ground coriander, black pepper, and pressed garlic in a large mixing bowl.
- Caramelize Onions: Sauté diced onions in olive oil over medium heat until golden and fragrant, then remove onions while preserving the infused oil.
- Activate Spices: Pour sizzling hot oil directly over the carrot mixture, instantly releasing aromatic compounds and intensifying flavor complexity.
- Blend and Marinate: Thoroughly mix ingredients, ensuring complete spice coverage, then transfer to a sealed container and refrigerate for 6-12 hours to allow flavors to develop and meld.
- Serve and Store: Present chilled as a vibrant, spicy side dish, with the ability to maintain its robust flavor profile for up to one week when refrigerated.
Notes
- Slice with Precision: Use a sharp julienne slicer or chef’s knife to create uniform, thin carrot strips for consistent texture and even seasoning absorption.
- Oil Infusion Technique: Sauté onions in olive oil to create a flavor base, then pour the hot, aromatic oil over carrots to intensify taste and release deep spice notes.
- Marination Magic: Refrigerate the seasoned carrots for 6-12 hours, allowing flavors to meld and develop a more complex, robust taste profile.
- Flavor Balancing Act: Adjust spices and seasoning to personal preference, tasting and tweaking the heat, sweetness, and tanginess for a perfectly customized dish.
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 10 minutes
- Category: Appetizer, Snacks
- Method: Sautéing
- Cuisine: Korean
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 7
- Calories: 215
- Sugar: 2 g
- Sodium: 284 mg
- Fat: 19 g
- Saturated Fat: 2.5 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 16 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 14 g
- Fiber: 4 g
- Protein: 1 g
- Cholesterol: 0 mg