Stir-Fried Carrots with Cumin and Lime

Carrots are all over the farmers markets now. Nutritionally, carrots are rock stars. Buy multi-colored ones because they're beautiful.

The hard copy of this recipe is from Suvir Saran's great cookbook, Indian Home Cooking. It's one for your basic library. His new book, Masala Farm, will soon be available. I pre-ordered mine on Amazon. Suvir's cookbooks are written in his voice; and when working within any one of his books, you feel as if you get to know him. I have great memories of times I spent, years ago, with Suvir. But what you should know is that he is a superb chef. His generosity of spirit, warm and loving heart, humor, humility and energy are transmuted into his work and his recipes. If you aren't already familiar with any of his books, have a look at American Masala.

You can buy the spices ("masala" usually refers to roasted spices, but loosely translates to 'spice') at good markets (Fairway, Whole Foods), at any Indian/Pakistani market or, a great resource, is Patel Brothers online.

L-R and bottom to top: Whole dried red chile, cumin, fresh green chile, cumin and kala jeera, curry leaves, julienned fresh ginger

Stir Fried Carrots with Cumin and Lime
From Indian Home Cooking by Suvir Saran and Stephanie Lyness, adapted by Blue Heron Kitchen


Ingredients:
1 1/2 Tbsp. Extra Virgin Olive Oil
1 Tbsp. black mustard seeds
2-inch piece fresh ginger, peeled and cut into a fine julienne
1 fresh hot green chile, minced
5 whole dried red chiles
1 1/2 tsp. whole cumin seeds
1/2 tsp. kala jeera (optional)
15 fresh or 25 frozen curry leaves, torn into pieces (optional) (substitute Thai basil or if you can't find Thai basil, regular basil, for this fantastic ingredient.)
2 1/4 pound or approx. 11-12 cups shredded carrots. (Grated on large holes of grater or using the shredding disc of the food processor)

1 tsp salt, or to taste
Juice of 1 lime (or, if you hate lime, use a lemon)


Combine the oil and mustard seeds in a large wok, frying pan or kadai (a beautiful Indian wok), over medium to high heat. Cover it, or you'll have flying, hot mustard seeds all over you and the kitchen; and you'll never want to cook with mustard seeds again. This would be tragic, because mustard seeds are phat. 


When you hear them crackle for about a minute or two, uncover them and add the ginger, fresh and dried chiles, cumin, optional kala jeera and curry leaves and cook, uncovered (don't worry, it's safer now), stirring until the ginger crisps slightly. 

Masala in the kadai

Add the carrots and cook, stirring constantly over medium-high heat, until warmed through, 3-5 minutes. Add salt and lime (or lemon, sour puss) and adjust salt to taste.


Serve hot, warm or cold.


Serves 6-8

Like a dish at the Automat!

Carrot Salad with Mango and Cumin

Carrot Salad with Mango and Cumin

Blue Heron Kitchen

Locally grown carrots are available at the farmer’s market. Buy them.  Buy small ones and don’t bother peeling them; just wash them.  They taste like carrots.  

Several zestless lemons have been waiting for me in my fridge. 

When life gives me lemons, I bake Buttery Lemony Möhn Kichel (the next fabulous cookie in my hopeful debut cookbook, "365 Ways to Bake Möhn Kichel"), or I make this great salad, which uses 1/3 cup of freshly squeezed lemon juice. 

Be patriotic and buy organic lemons. 

And, on Independence Day Eve, consider this: 

Let’s become independently healthy .. not just in our diets, but politically too. 

This gorgeous, fat-free salad is loaded with vitamin A for America!

Ingredients:

4 cups of grated carrots

¼ cup currants

1 small or ½ large mango, diced

1/3 c. freshly squeezed lemon juice, strained

½ tsp. toasted ground cumin (see directions below for toasting and grinding)

1 Tbsp. Agave syrup (you may use Lyle’s Golden syrup or a mild honey)

¼ c. chopped fresh herbs, one or mixed, your choice:

                                                  parsley, pineapple sage, cilantro, dill

Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper to taste

Procedure:

To make toasted cumin: in a small cast iron skillet, heat whole cumin seeds, being careful not to scorch them, until toasted and aromatic.  Cool slightly and grind in a spice grinder (I have a coffee grinder that I use solely for spice grinding.) Store in a glass jar. You will be astonished at the difference between your ground cumin and ordinary ground cumin you buy commercially. 

Grate carrots into a medium sized bowl.

Add currants, and mango and toss.

In a small bowl, whisk the lemon juice, toasted ground cumin and Agave syrup and pour over carrot mixture.  Toss.

Add chopped herbs and salt and pepper to taste.

Refrigerate for several hours or overnight before serving.

Serves 4-8 (In my house, 2)