Everyone Loves Hummus, Until They Try This Sweet & Spicy Carrot Dip

Sweet, spicy, and full of North African flavor! 🇹🇳 🔥 This Tunisian Omek Houria recipe combines carrots and harissa into a savory, delicious dip with that’s perfect for sharing. I turned the original recipe into a complete plant-based version using wholesome, affordable and simple ingredients.
It’s the perfect side dish or appetizer for vegans, flexitarians, and anyone who loves to try international recipes with bold and spicy flavors. I hope you enjoy this one!

🇬🇧 HARISSA CARROT DIP (OMEK HOURIA) 🥕✨
100% plant-based • sweet • spicy • bold flavor

Ingredients (makes one large serving bowl):
4 carrots
300 g mini eggplants (or 1 regular eggplant)
1 small bunch fresh parsley, chopped
A handful of black olives (optional)
½ tsp five-spice powder
½ tsp turmeric powder
Sea salt and black pepper, to taste
Fresh baguette, for serving

🌶️ For the homemade harissa:
14 long red chilies (e.g., serrano or similar)
7 garlic cloves
1 tsp coriander powder
1 tsp cumin powder
1 tsp paprika powder
½ tsp black pepper
½ tsp sea salt
7 tbsp olive oil

Tip: You can also replace the homemade harissa with 4–5 tbsp of authentic Tunisian harissa paste for convenience.

Instructions:
1. Cook the carrots: Cut the carrots into chunks, cover with water, bring to a boil, and cook for about 20 minutes, until soft.
2. Roast the eggplants: Trim the stems and halve the mini eggplants. In a bowl, toss them with five-spice powder, turmeric, salt, pepper, and a drizzle of olive oil. Gently mix (use gloves if preferred) to coat evenly. Arrange the eggplants flat side down on a baking sheet and roast for 10–12 minutes at 220°C (430°F) until tender.
3. Prepare the harissa: Peel the garlic and remove the stems from the chilies. Roughly chop and add to a blender along with olive oil and spices. Blend until smooth.
4. Once the carrots are soft, mash them directly in the pot. Add the harissa and sauté over low heat for 3–4 minutes, folding it into the carrots until well combined. Taste and adjust seasoning with extra salt if needed.
5. Assemble and serve: Spread the carrot-harissa mix onto a round, deep serving dish. Top with the roasted eggplants, black olives, and a generous sprinkle of chopped parsley. Finish with a drizzle of olive oil and serve warm with fresh baguette.

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🇩🇪 HARISSA-KAROTTEN-DIP (OMEK HOURIA) 🥕✨
vegan • scharf • würzig

Zutaten (für eine große Schüssel):
4 Karotten
300 g Mini-Auberginen (oder 1 normale Aubergine)
1 kleines Bund frische Petersilie, gehackt
Eine Handvoll schwarze Oliven (optional)
Fünf-Gewürze-Pulver
Kurkuma
Meersalz, schwarzer Pfeffer
Frisches Baguette (zum Servieren)

🌶️ Für die selbstgemachte Harissa:
14 lange rote Chilischoten (z. B. Serrano oder ähnlich)
7 Knoblauchzehen
1 TL Koriander
1 TL Kreuzkümmel
1 TL Paprikapulver
½ TL schwarzer Pfeffer
½ TL Salz
7 EL Olivenöl

Tipp: Du kannst die Harissa auch durch 4–5 EL authentische tunesische Harissa-Paste ersetzen.

Zubereitung:
1. Karotten in Stücke schneiden, mit Wasser bedecken, aufkochen und etwa 20 Minuten weich kochen.
2. In der Zwischenzeit die Stiele der Mini-Auberginen entfernen und halbieren. In einer großen Schüssel mit Fünf-Gewürze-Pulver, Kurkuma, Salz, Pfeffer und etwas Olivenöl mischen. Mit Handschuhen die Gewürze sanft einmassieren. Auf ein Backblech mit der Schnittseite nach unten legen und 10–12 Minuten bei 220 °C im Ofen backen.
3. Harissa zubereiten: Knoblauch schälen, Chili-Stiele entfernen und grob hacken. Zusammen mit Olivenöl und Gewürzen in einen Mixer geben und glatt pürieren.
4. Wenn die Karotten weich sind, im Topf zerdrücken. Dann die Harissa zu den Karotten geben und bei niedriger Hitze 3–4 Minuten leicht anbraten, dabei immer wieder umrühren. Abschmecken und nach Bedarf mit Meersalz abschmecken.
5. Den Dip auf einem tiefen Teller verstreichen, die gebackenen Auberginen und Oliven daraufgeben und großzügig mit gehackter Petersilie und einem Schuss Olivenöl garnieren. Mit frisch aufgebackenem Baguette oder Fladenbrot genießen.

#veganomekhouria #harissacarrotdip #tunisianrecipe #northafricanfood #vegandiprecipe #plantbasedrecipes, #healthyveganfood #flexitarianmeals #wholesomeeating #nourishingrecipes #tropicalkitchen

KEY MOMENTS 🗝️
0:00 What is Omek Houria?
0:25 How to prepare the carrots
0:37 Preparing the mini eggplants (vegan twist on eggs)
0:57–1:15 How I discovered this savory & spicy carrot dip
1:16 How to season & roast the eggplants
1:42 How to make Tunisian harissa at home
2:21 Tips on how to use harissa in other dishes
2:33 How to make the plant-based Omek Houria
3:12–3:32 How to plate & serve the sweet & spicy carrot dip

I know we all love hummus, but 
have you ever heard of Omek Houria? It’s a Tunisian sweet and spicy carrot salad slash 
dip that is usually eaten with boiled eggs and canned tuna, but I’ve created a completely 
plant-based version, and in this video, I’ll share with you all the secrets on how 
to make it using wholesome, affordable and fresh ingredients, so you can bring authentic 
North African flavors into your own kitchen. Start by roughly chopping 4 washed and 
unpeeled carrots. Add them to a pot, cover with water and cook for around 
20 minutes until the carrots turn soft. Instead of boiled eggs, I am using 
mini eggplants in this recipe. If you cannot find mini eggplants, 
a regular eggplant works as well. Cut off the stems, and then cut 
the mini eggplants into halves, and if you use regular eggplants just 
cut them into medium-sized cubes. I discovered this dish years ago from 
my Tunisian roommate, and honestly, I had never tasted anything like this before. The combination of the savory, spicy harissa with 
the sweet carrots is just so good. So, if you love cooking international food at home and try 
out new flavors, I’m sure you’ll love this one! Next, grab a bowl and toss the 
eggplants with turmeric powder, five spice powder, sea salt, and black pepper.
Then drizzle with a little olive oil, and then gently mix and rub in the spices using gloves, so 
your hands won’t get stained from the turmeric. Then transfer the eggplants onto a 
backing tray with the flat side down, and roast them in the oven for about 
10-12 minutes at *220 degrees Celsius. Next, let’s make the star of this 
dish, the fresh harissa paste. The harissa is what gives the 
carrot dip its truly unique taste, and it works perfectly with 
the sweetness of the carrots. Roughly chop 7 garlic cloves. If you want 
the dip less garlicky, you can use less. Then chop 14 long red chilies, add them to a 
blending jug along with 1 tsp of cumin powder, 1 tsp of coriander powder, 
1 tsp of paprika powder, ½ tsp of salt, ½ tsp of black 
pepper and 7 tbsp of olive oil. Then blend everything until smooth, and if you 
cook the harissa down in a pot with oil it will turn less spicy and slightly sweet and you can use 
it in sandwiches, wraps, or add it to your bowls. When the carrots are cooked, drain and mash them. And then add the fresh harissa sauce straight 
to the pot and cook on low heat for 3-4 minutes using a spatula and folding the harissa into the 
carrots to infuse them with all the yummy flavors. By the way, this dip is eaten with 
bread so, if you make it at home, you can just buy a ciabatta or french 
baguette and roast in the oven, or use some turkish flat bread like lavash 
and serve it along with the Omek Houria. After it’s cooked, give the carrot dip a 
taste and then add more sea salt depending on how savory you’d like your dip to be.
Then transfer the dip to a deep, round serving bowl, add the roasted mini eggplants, some 
black olives and sprinkle generously with freshly chopped parsley and more olive oil.
It’s so easy to make, right? I hope you try this recipe at home, 
and if so, leave me a comment, thank you for watching and 
see you in the next video. <3