As I stood by the stove downing forkful after forkful of omek houria, a mashed Tunisian carrot salad twin-propped by harissa and garlic, I was already thinking about how soon I was going to make it again. It takes serious moreish chops for the contents of a plate to not last the walk from kitchen counter to dining table. For a few carrots to pull this off required the support of vivacious ingredients which the omek houria had in spades, but what the soukcore recipe really showcased was the kind of creativity it took to elevate a sideshow veg to a centrepiece act.
Our first sentient introduction to the carrot begins with a great deception – you must eat it because it is good for your eyesight. Once bound by a sense of duty to consume it, we view it as something to be endured not enjoyed, thus setting the stage for a twisted relationship. Most carrot recipes are only in name, smothered by sugar in a cake or a halwa, overwhelmed by coriander in a soup, subdued by glaze in a roast. As an aromatic vegetable, the carrot is relegated to a perpetual wingman, setting up the 
base flavour before the meat steps in for the win.
My celebration of the carrot received a matching contribution by the London Festival of Architecture running across the city this month. Towering carrot installations were placed next to a rabbit-themed mural, perpetuating another great deception that bunnies gorge on carrots. The artworks were on Warren Street – renamed Rabbit Warren Street for the occasion – outside the tube station, portals to other events 
in Fitzrovia.
I peeled, chopped, boiled and mashed six carrots. I added a splash of olive oil, 2 teaspoons of harissa paste, 5 cloves of minced garlic, ½ teaspoon each of coriander and caraway powder, a pinch of salt and a handful of chopped parsley into a pan. I tipped in the mashed carrots and stirred on low heat until the ingredients were mixed. I spread the mash on a plate and topped with a few chunks of canned tuna. I drizzled olive oil around the mash and served. Bnina!
Krishnan
The new outdoor art series hasn't been anointed with a title yet, but branding muse Rachel is hard at work in rediscovering the magic that previously gave us Building an Appetite and Cooking the Books.
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