This is a delightful, wholesome, versatile meze, also great with grills and pasta. The sweetness of sautéed garlicky carrots and courgettes (zucchini) works so well combined with the yoghurt and dill. I like adding chopped gherkins here for a touch of tanginess and crunchy walnuts for added texture and flavour. You can prepare this meze a day ahead, cover and store in the refrigerator. Leftovers keep well for up to two days.

Serves 4–6

Ingredients:
3 medium courgettes (about 600g/1 lb 5 oz), trimmed and grated

sea salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

1 medium carrot (about 200g/7oz) trimmed and grated

4 tbsp olive oil

4 garlic cloves, finely chopped

30 g (1oz) gherkins, chopped

45 g (1 ¾ oz/ 1/3 cup) shelled walnuts, chopped into bite-size pieces

Handful of fresh dill, hard stalks removed, chopped

280 g (10oz/generous 1 cup) full-fat yoghurt (or plant-based alternative)

Extra-virgin olive oil, to serve

Sprinkle of pul biber, to serve

Method:

• Place the grated courgette in a colander, sprinkle with a little salt and leave to drain for 10 minutes.
• Using a dish towel or sturdy paper towels, squeeze out any excess juice from the courgette and put in a large bowl. Add the grated carrots and combine.
• Heat the olive oil in a wide heavy pan over a medium–high heat, add the grated mixture and sauté for 5 minutes, stirring often.
• Stir in the garlic, season with salt and pepper, and sauté for a further 3 minutes. The vegetables will soften up but still have a crunch to them. Transfer to a large bowl to cool.
• Once cool, stir in the chopped gherkins, walnuts and dill, then fold in the yoghurt and combine well.
• Season again, if needed, and mix. Spread over a serving plate, drizzle over the extra-virgin olive oil, sprinkle over the pul biber and serve cold or at room temperature.

Recipe adapted from Sebze: Vegetarian recipes from my Turkish kitchen (Hardie Grant)