Fresh and flavorful, this carrot salad recipe is infused with Indian flavor! Studded with toasted cashews and raisins, fresh grated carrots are tossed in a delicious Indian curry dressing. Easy, healthy, vegan, and perfect for gatherings!
Why you’ll love this Carrot Salad
Here is my all-time favorite carrot salad recipe! As a chef, I love creating recipes that elevate humble ingredients, like the simple carrot. I’ve been making this carrot salad recipe for years, bringing it to potlucks and gatherings, and even using it in my catering business, and people constantly ask for the recipe. Indian spices come together to create the flavorful curry dressing, and the carrot salad is generously dotted with cashews and raisins, providing the best texure. I believe this recipe really brings out the best in carrots!
The best part is that this carrot salad can be made with store-bought grated carrots (fast and easy), and the salad gets even better with time! Make it ahead for the busy week and enjoy a nutritious salad throughout. Rich in vitamin A and many other nutrients, carrots are not only delcious, but they are also healthy and full of many health benefits.
Carrot Salad Recipe Ingredients
- Fresh Grated Carrots– the star of the recipe! Or use store-bought matchsticks or grated carrots.
- Garlic and ginger- for a kick of punchy flavor.
- Raisins– golden raisins or regular raisins.
- Toasted Cashews– or slivered almonds
- Herbs: scallions, cilantro (or Italian parsley)
- Extra virgin olive oil
- Orange and lime juice (or sub apple cider vinegar)
- Maple syrup- or sub honey, agave, or alternative sweetener
- Spices: salt, pepper , yellow curry powder, turmeric and cayenne
Carrot Salad Variations
- add toasted coconut flakes!
- add chickpeas for extra protein!
How to make Carrot Salad
Step one: Grate the carrots! If you scrub them, there is no need to peel them. You’ll need 4-5 cups.
Step 2: Place the grated carrots in a large bowl with the remaining ingredients, and toss to combine. Adjust salt to taste.
Storing Your Carrot Salad
This carrot salad gets even better with time and will keep up to 4-5 days in an airtight container in the refrigerator.
Serving suggestions
Serve with Crispy Tofu, or Baked chicken, alongside a sandwich, or wrap!
More Carrot recipes you may like:
- 15 Best Carrot Recipes (Easy, Healthy & Full of Flavor)
- Moroccan Carrot Salad
- Carrot Ginger Soup
- Carrot Quinoa Salad
- 40 Must-Try Vegan Salads
- Carrot Salad with Quinoa and Almonds
- Moroccan Lentil Salad
- Celery Salad with Lentils, Dates and Almonds
- North African Carrot Soup with Chermoula
I really hope you enjoy this cartto salad! It’s one of those salads that will make you happy knowing it is in the fridge waiting for you- especially during hunger emergencies. xoxo Sylvia
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Indian Carrot Salad Recipe
- Prep Time: 15
- Total Time: 15 minutes
- Yield: 4-5 cups 1x
- Category: Gluten Free, Make-ahead, salad, Side Dish, vegan
- Method: tossed
- Cuisine: Indian
- Diet: Vegan
Description
This Carrot Salad is studded with cashews and tossed in the most flavorful Indian curry dressing. Simple to make, healthy vegan, this carrot salad recipe is so addicting!
Ingredients
- 10-12 ounces carrots, grated or matchsticks (about 4- 5 cups, feel free to use store-bought matchsticks)
- 1 tablespoon lime or orange zest (or some of both)
- 1 garlic clove, finely minced ( use a garlic press)
- 1 teaspoon fresh ginger, finely minced ( or use ginger paste)
- 1/3 cup raisins (golden or regular)
- 1/2 cup toasted cashews ( or slivered almonds)
- 3 scallions, sliced thinnly
- 1/2 cup cilantro (or Italian parsley), chopped
- 1/4 cup olive oil
- 3 tablespoons fresh lime juice (or sub apple cider vinegar)
- 2 tablespoons of maple syrup, honey or agave, or alternative sweetener
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- pepper to taste
- 1/2 teaspoon ground turmeric (or use 1-2 teaspoons fresh grated)
- 1 teaspoon yellow curry powder
- 1/4 teaspoon cayenne (optional, and add more to taste)
Instructions
- Place all ingredients in a large bowl, sprinkle with the seasonings, and toss well.
- Taste. Adjust salt, acid, and sweetness to taste.
Notes
This will keep up to 4 days in the fridge.
If making this ahead, leave the cashews out until serving time.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 cup
- Calories: 251
- Sugar: 18.8 g
- Sodium: 307.3 mg
- Fat: 15.7 g
- Saturated Fat: 2.4 g
- Carbohydrates: 29.1 g
- Fiber: 3.8 g
- Protein: 3 g
- Cholesterol: 0 mg
this is a fantastic recipe! had a giant harvest of perfect carrots and was needing a new recipe to use some of them for a party — thank you!
Delicious!! Made it for an annual Indian feast, then again for a vegan relative and just about to double the recipe to take for a Christmas potluck. Great flavours and textures!
Thanks for the comment and great to hear Jacqueline!
delicious, added it as a side to an indian curry – flavours were yum
Oh perfect! Thanks for sharing Louise!
This carrot salad looks amazing! Plan on making it today! Just what I’ve been looking for!
Yay!
Fantastic just as written, One of my favorite recipies–my whole family loves it.
Terrific – a very different and delicious use of carrots. Thank you. I look forward to exploring your recipes and thoroughly recommend this carrot with a curry twist.
I am glad that you posted this amazing recipe.
Utterly delicious Sylvie, thanks formanother recipe with an exotic and intoxicating mix of flavours. As if I had a Bollywood banquet in my home haha!
Yum! Just delicious. I made it for a July 4th party using dried cranberries instead of raisins, and roasted peanuts instead of cashews because I had the substitute items already in my pantry. It was a huge hit at the party. Thank you! This is going to become a “go to” salad for me, possibly with some other variations such as shredded cabbage or broccoli. Thank you!
Eating this for dinner now. Easy and tasty recipe. Thanks for sharing.
Thanks Rae!
This is SO healthy, SO easy, and SO YUMMY!!!!!!
So glad you liked it!
Love it. I subbed in lemon and fresh squeezed orange juice for the citrus and decrease the all of oil to 3 tablespoons. Also decreased the sweetener by just a little bit. Absolutely delicious .
This is one of my favorite salads. So flavorful and vibrant! Used craisens only because I prefer them over raisins.
It’s so yummy &refreshing & also healthy too.
Thanks for sharing.
I grated the carrots very fine and made the salad dressing before adding these ingredients. It was delish.
Absolutely delicious! Didn’t have lime, so I subbed half cider vinegar and fresh orange, juiced. I then added more orange. Wonderful!
This was a life saver tonight, thank you!
This salas is delish! Highly recommended together with the cauliflower rice. Thank you for publishing these recipes. The tumeric in the salad sauce is not overpowering and is super healthy too.
So glad you enjoyed!
Super tasty salad! Didn’t realize raisins and cashews would get along so well with carrots. I didn’t add the ginger-garlic and the Indian powders and yet it was fabulous. Thank you!
Tasty salad.
I added celery for a little more crunch
5 stars isn’t enough of a rating this recipe. My first recipe made from this website. It was so delicious with the combination of hot n spicy and sweet – absolutely bursting with flavor. Its a favorite. Thank you Sylvia!
So glad you enjoyed it!!!
Divine! Will be a favourite of ours now!
Thanks Jo! Glad you liked it!!!
Already made it 3 times! I like to use half almomds, half cashews.
Also makes a great filling for vegan wraps.
So glad I found it, thank you!!
Thank you for something really different. This is going to become my favorite “new” salad !
This is really me. No foreign ingredients that I have to google. Substitutes where ever possible.. Main Ingredient in season. Can make it without a trip to the shops. Healthy Tasty and easy to make. Thank you Thank You .Great
I haven’t made this recipe yet, but I will! Meantime, I have a tip for those who don’t like raisins…;. Cranberries! Their flavor and color compliment carrots beautifully!
AMost carrot salads taste a little “meh,” but yours is vivacious and full of flavor. Good with yogurt on top, but fine without it. I shredded the carrots in my Cuisinart, very helpful. Thank you for helping me make such a nice dinner.