Braised Carrots With Cumin and Red Pepper

By David Tanis

Updated Sept. 10, 2025

Braised Carrots With Cumin and Red Pepper
Tony Cenicola/The New York Times
Total Time
30 minutes
Rating
5(473)
Comments
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This recipe calls for braising the humble carrot in olive oil and garlic, then seasoning with toasted cumin and red pepper. They taste good hot or at room temperature which makes them ideal for a large dinner party or potluck. Use real carrots and peel your own. Which is not to say that those miniature peeled carrots in bags aren’t real, but, convenience aside, they often lack true carrot flavor.

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Ingredients

Yield:8 to 10 servings
  • 3pounds medium carrots, peeled
  • 4tablespoons olive oil
  • Salt
  • 6garlic cloves, sliced
  • ½teaspoon cumin seed, toasted and coarsely ground
  • 2teaspoons mild red pepper flakes, like Aleppo or Marash
  • 2teaspoons paprika, smoked or unsmoked
Ingredient Substitution Guide
Nutritional analysis per serving (10 servings)

108 calories; 6 grams fat; 1 gram saturated fat; 0 grams trans fat; 4 grams monounsaturated fat; 1 gram polyunsaturated fat; 14 grams carbohydrates; 4 grams dietary fiber; 7 grams sugars; 1 gram protein; 335 milligrams sodium

Note: The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.

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Preparation

  1. Step 1

    Cut the carrots lengthwise, or quarter them if you wish.

  2. Step 2

    Warm the olive oil in a large Dutch oven or heavy bottomed pot over medium heat. Add the carrots and turn them in the oil to coat. Season generously with salt. Add the garlic and 1 cup of water. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to a gentle simmer and cover the pan. Cook for about 10 minutes, until the carrots are just tender.

  3. Step 3

    Remove the lid, raise the heat, and let any remaining water cook away.

  4. Step 4

    Sprinkle the cumin, red pepper and paprika over the carrots and transfer them to an oven-proof serving dish. Serve hot or at room temperature. The carrots may be left at room temperature for 2 to 3 hours, or refrigerated and brought to room temperature, before reheating in a 400-degree oven for 10 minutes.

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Ratings

5 out of 5
473 user ratings
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Comments

Alexandra

Great! Beautiful and easy. The same recipe can be made by simply roasting the vegetables on a cookie sheet in a hot over for 25 minutes or so.

Willa

Everyone liked this and it was easy to make. I used multicolored carrots which were beautiful. I appreciated that I could cook it on top of the stove as my oven was shared by many other dishes.

Paul

A simple variation is to skip cumin, red pepper and paprika and add a 2-3 tablespoons of capers and some chopped parsley.

Juliette I.

Delicious & came out perfectly. Can’t wait to make again, exactly as written.

Stephanie G

Great flavor profile. Next time I’d cut fat carrot rounds & use a spice grinder instead of a mortar & pestle. Otherwise - fantastic.

@jennifer

Best carrots ever! This will be my go-to carrot recipe. Love the texture and spices.

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