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Carrots, commonly known in Morocco as khizzou or zroudia, are widely used in Moroccan cooking, ranging from starters to juices to main dishes. This cooked carrot salad with chermoula is a family favorite on a Fassi (Fez) table during lunch time. In Morocco we refer to it as Khizou Mchermel in its chunky version, or caviar or zaalouk of carrot in its coarsely mashed version. It is very easy to prepare, can be made ahead of time and served later as a side dish.
Ways to Make Moroccan Carrot Salad
You can cut the carrots any way you find easy—sliced, diced or sticks—as it will not make a difference except with the cooking time. When planning to serve a caviar of carrot, do not mash them to a fine paste; you should still see bits of carrots.
A chermoula made with fresh herbs is key to the taste of this salad. Some like a generous amount of this marinade while others prefer a light seasoning. My family likes it on the generous side and I like to make mine lemony. You can have it this way either by adding more lemon juice or by adding finely chopped preserved lemons to the mix.
In the Rabat cuisine, a good sprinkle of sugar and cinnamon are added to the sauce just before finishing the cooking. It works marvelously!
