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
- Asian Carrot Salad
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 carrot salad bursts with flavor and is seriously the best I ever had! I loved everything- the spicyness, the texture and the look & smell of it. Such a great recipe, and so easy to make! Thank you Sylvia! 🧡🙏😃
Awesome- glad you are enjoying!
Another killer recipe, Sylvia! I’ve grabbed a few of your salads and have been making them on Sundays to take throughout the week for lunches at work and I’m loving it! This was so good and filling! The flavor profiles really do keep me satisfied with small portions. I don’t know what I’d do without your website. Thank you!
Awww… thanks so much!
So delicious, thank you! At first l was a bit scared to add raw garlig and ginger, but the taste was very good.
Great to hear and glad you gave it a go Maija!
I was asked to make a side dish to go with chicken/broccoli/rice casserole, and looked for a recipe featuring carrots. Stumbled across this and it was AMAZING. The big hit of the meal – everyone wanted the recipe and fought over who got to take the few leftovers home, lol.
Love it Martha!
This was SO yummy! Huge family and friends favourite. I didn’t have any raisins so I chopped up dates as a substitute. I also halved the oil content and it was still beautiful. Thank you for another incredible recipe – I’m slowly working through everything vego on your site!
Thanks Odette, the dates sound perfect!
The best salad ever. I adore making this and often use it alongside Middle Eastern and Indian food. Guests love it. It is so filling and tastes better the following day. If there’s any left
Thanks Louise!
We loved this salad and we are not even close to vegan. Just the perfect mix of flavors and crunch. We have already recommended the recipe to everyone interested in a refreshing mayo free dish. Thank you for sharing. It is perfect. I especially love the suggestions for alternative ingredients. It make it so easy.
thanks so much Jenn!
Loved this recipe … delicious Thankyou so much … I added a few cheeky snow peas…
Excellent! My husband really likes this. The only thing to remember is that the carrots need to be coarsely grated, otherwise they lose their crispness.
Can you use roasted salted cashews or are raw unsalted cashews better?
You know, I think both could work fine here!
Really good on its own also with Sami’s Bakery millet and flax pita bread and tahini chickpea miso sauce:)
A.mazing!! Will be making this salad again as it soooo darn good.
Thanks for the recipe x
Can I make this dish oil-free? Any recommendations?
Becky- that is a great question and honestly I’m stumped here. Just curious why oil-free? Because of calories? Or something else? Would you be ok with blended cashews in a dressing? Or I guess you could try just leaving it out and maybe replace with squeeze of orange juice?
Hmm 10-12oz carrots but then says 4-5cups of shredded carrots. In my mind, I always convert 1cup to 8oz—is that not right? Trying to make this for a lunch on Saturday. Please let me know how much carrots it would be. (Plan to buy pre cut shredded carrots)
Go with the 4-5 cups shredded. 🙂
This blew me away! It tastes so professional! Better than the carrot salad at my favorite Moroccan restaurant! Thank you SO much! This is a keeper!
Yummy. Didn’t have nuts or cilantro but the recipe was wonderful nonetheless. I did add black cumin seed to mine. So good. We had it with mango chutney and mandala vegetables and rice.
Sylvia
This was fantastic. I can’t thank you enough for sharing it.
Ally
A very good combi of tastes and textures. Loved it and indeed fits very well to Tandoori chicken.
But one question: why olive oil? Is not a commenly used oil in the Indian kitchen.
Good point, which oil would you recommend? I’m not a fan of seed oils.
Hm. Then a lot drops, but I would use coconut oil, walnut oil or maybe grape seed oil.
The coconut oil might fit best in my opinion, but the others might be more neutral.
I think the flavor would be great with coconut, but it may be too firm for a cold salad?
Then walnut oil. I will try booth next time. Keep you posted ☺️
Ok sounds good!
Excellent, simple to make and delicious.
This recipe was a big hit! Wonderful flavor profile here, I will be making again. Thank you for sharing. I look forward to more Indian cuisine recipes!
This recipe is DELICIOUS! I have made this many times now and my kids even love it. We usually have it when we’re eating indian food. If I don’t have cashews, I swap out other nuts. I also add chopped colorful bell peppers and whatever veggies we have around. Thank you for sharing this!
thanks Sheri!
Healthy and delicious!
Cant wait to try this. What flavour or cut of meat would you recommend with it?
Planning a lunch around this salad.
How about the Tandoori Chicken ( either grilled or sheet pan version).
I didn’t have cashews, but it was delicious without them. Am sure it’s over-the-top wonderful with them!
Served as a side to accompany Nigella Lawson’s Masoor Dal. Perfect!
This was really yummy. Everyone loved it, will definitely make again!