Rukmini Iyer’s quick and easy spiced roast carrots with feta, dates, bulgur and beans – recipe

Dinner tonight, lunch tomorrow – this lovely, one-tin recipe is the very definition of thrifty, practical cooking. The flavour of the lightly spiced carrots against the toffeed dates, sharp feta and lemon works beautifully; I took it to a friend’s house for a pot-luck lunch and it went down very well. Use your choice of tinned butter beans, black beans, haricot, cannellini or indeed chickpeas – it’s a great dish to use up whatever you have around.

Spiced roast carrots with feta, dates, bulgur and beans

Prep 15 minCook 30 minServes 4 200g bulgur wheat400ml vegetable stock1 x 400g tin beans (black, haricot, butter beans or chickpeas), drained and rinsed450g carrots, peeled and cut on the diagonal into 1cm-thick slices2 tbsp olive oil1 large garlic clove, peeled and finely grated2½cm thumb fresh ginger, peeled and finely grated1 tsp sea salt flakes1 heaped tsp ground cumin1 tsp ground cinnamon4 cardamom pods, seeds ground200g feta, crumbled10 medjool dates, quartered15g flat-leaf parsley, finely choppedFor the dressingJuice and zest of 1 lemon2 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil1 tsp sea salt flakes

Heat the oven to 200C (180C fan)/390F/gas 6. Tip the bulgur, stock and beans into a large roasting tin, and stir. In a large bowl, mix the sliced carrots, olive oil, garlic, ginger, salt and spices, then scatter them evenly over the bulgur mix Transfer to the oven to roast for 30 minutes.

Meanwhile, make the dressing. Whisk the lemon juice and zest, olive oil and salt.

Once the bulgur and carrots are out of the oven, fluff the bulgur with a fork and stir through the lemon dressing. Taste and adjust with more lemon and salt as needed, then scatter over the feta, dates and parsley. Serve warm or at room temperature.