Sweet and Spicy Guoguang Roast Carrots

Hi, Scott here with this week’s recipe! This time, I’ve got a simple yet flavour-packed dish for you: Guoguang Roast Carrots.

This recipe is bursting with sweet, spicy, and salty flavours that are sure to impress. Whether you serve it as a side dish or enjoy it on its own with a little rice, it’s guaranteed to be a crowd-pleaser. The star ingredient here is Guoguang, a Korean chilli paste that pairs beautifully with cinnamon, star anise, maple syrup, and soy sauce to create a stunning glaze for the carrots.

So, without further ado, let’s head to the kitchen and get cooking! As always, you can find this recipe and others on theveggrowerpodcast.co.uk or on my Instagram page, Seed to Table Plot 13.

Ingredients

For the carrots:

• 600g carrots, halved lengthways
• 50g Guoguang (Korean chilli paste)
• 100g maple syrup
• 50g rice wine vinegar
• 20g sesame oil
• 40g soy sauce
• ¼ cinnamon stick
• 3 star anise

For garnish:

• Sesame seeds
• Sliced spring onions

Method

1. Preheat your oven to 190°C.
2. In a large mixing bowl, combine all the ingredients except the carrots. Stir well to make a rich, aromatic sauce.
3. Add the carrots to the bowl and toss until they’re fully coated in the sauce.
4. Transfer the coated carrots to a roasting dish and cover it with foil. Roast in the preheated oven for 20 minutes.
5. Remove the foil and continue roasting for another 30–40 minutes, or until the carrots are tender and the sauce has reduced to a sticky glaze.
6. Once cooked, garnish with sesame seeds and sliced spring onions for a final touch.

And there you have it—your sweet and spicy Guoguang Roast Carrots are ready to serve!

Let me know how you get on by tagging me on Instagram or leaving a comment on the blog. Until next time, happy cooking!