Roasted-Carrot Salad with Peanut-Sesame Mole

Ingredients

• For the spice blend:
• 3 tablespoons ancho chili powder
• 2 teaspoons ground cumin seed
• 1 teaspoon ground paprika
• 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
• 1/2 teaspoon ground coriander seed
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• For the carrots:
• 1 pound small carrots, unpeeled
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 medium clove garlic, minced
• For the sesame mole:
• 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
• 1/2 small white onion, sliced, divided
• 2 tablespoons toasted sesame seeds
• 1 ounce dark chocolate
• 1 tablespoon peanut butter
• 1/4 cup toasted pumpkin seeds
• 1/4 cup vegetable stock or water
• 2 tablespoons raisins
• 1/4 cup orange juice
• 2 whole chipotle peppers packed in adobo sauce
• 1 teaspoon red wine vinegar
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
• For the salad:
• 4 radishes, thinly sliced
• 1 handful mixed greens and herbs
• 1 teaspoon lemon juice from 1 lemon
• 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for serving
• 2 tablespoons toasted pumpkin seeds
• Pinch dried chili flakes, optional

Directions

1. For the spice blend, move an oven rack to the center and heat the oven to 375 degrees F. In a small bowl, stir together the chili powder, cumin, paprika, black pepper, coriander, and salt, then put the mixture aside.
2. For the carrots, set them in a large pot, add enough water to cover, and salt the water generously. Bring the pot to a boil over high heat, then lower the heat so the water simmers and cook the carrots until they are just tender, about 5 minutes. Drain them well and leave them to dry for 5 minutes. Add 2 teaspoons of the spice blend, 2 tablespoons olive oil, and the garlic, then toss until the carrots are coated. Move them to a rimmed baking sheet lined with foil, arranging them in a single even layer. Roast until deeply caramelized, about 40 minutes, turning them a couple of times as they cook. Place the roasted carrots in a large bowl.
3. While the carrots are in the oven, prepare the mole. Save a small handful of the sliced onion for later. Warm the vegetable oil in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat until it shimmers, then add the rest of the onion along with the garlic. Cook, stirring often, until the onion softens and begins to brown, about 5 minutes. Stir in the remaining spice blend and cook, stirring the whole time, until the spices smell toasty, about 1 minute. Add the sesame seeds, then the chocolate, peanut butter, pumpkin seeds, stock, raisins, orange juice, and chipotle peppers. Stir until the mixture comes together smoothly. Continue cooking and stirring until it becomes thick and aromatic, about 4 minutes. Scrape everything into a blender, add the vinegar, and blend on high until smooth, about 2 minutes, thinning with more stock as needed until the mole has a thick, batter-like consistency. Taste and season with salt and pepper.
4. To serve, combine the cooked carrots with the reserved onion, radishes, greens, herbs, lemon juice, and 1 extra-virgin olive oil. Spoon some of the mole onto a serving plate and spread it out. Arrange the carrot mixture over it, add more mole in spoonfuls on top, and finish with pumpkin seeds and chili flakes. Drizzle with olive oil and serve right away.