05 September 2026
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Carrot Tarator /Havuç Tarator
The Canon

Carrot Tarator /Havuç Tarator

I really think tarator is one of the best appetizer (meze) in Turkish cuisine!

By the Canon desk · Turkey · 2 min ·

Tarator, a word that also changed meaning as it entered Turkish vocabulary, is a yogurt-based salad, for example, zucchini tarator or carrot tarator. Tarator is widely used in Istanbul, the capital of the Empire, and borani is common in Anatolia.

The names are historical and have stuck until the present day. This yogurt salad recipe is something that you will want on every dinner table. Feel free to substitute zucchini in place of carrots if you prefer.

Or why not have the best of both worlds and mix the two?

Ingredients

  • 3 medium carrots
  • 1 clove of garlic
  • 3 walnuts
  • 4 tbsp olive oil
  • 5 tbsp yogurt
  • salt to taste

How to make Carrot Tarator

  • Grate the carrots and garlic cloves, coarsely chop the walnuts.
  • Heat the olive oil in a large pan. Add the grated carrots and garlic and sauté for 5 minutes until the carrots soften. Let it cool.
  • In a separate bowl, whip the yogurt with salt.
  • Add the cooked garlic and cooled carrots and chopped walnuts and mix well.
  • Transfer to a serving plate and drizzle with olive oil.
Key facts
  • Who: Tarator

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