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.
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)
