I must have first tried this recipe in the 1980s, it is hand-written in an old jotter that I used to copy out some recipes clipped from newspapers. I remember collecting recipes from the Sunday Times; they ran a series by Madhur Jaffrey about regional recipes around the Indian subcontinent.
I have some very large carrots still to harvest this year. I grew a yellow variety that has a very firm flesh ideal for adding to stews, and for this dish. There’ll be more carrot-based dishes to come. Most spices are available in local shops. I bought some of them from Seasoned Pioneers, who retail spices online.
INGREDIENTS:
- 500g carrots, peeled and thinly sliced
- 1/2 cm ginger root (or 1/2 tsp ground ginger)
- 4 tbsp vegetable oil
- 1/2 tsp cumin seeds
- 1/8 tsp asafoetida
- 2 hot green chillies
- 1 tsp ground coriander
- 1/4 tsp turmeric
- 20g chopped dill leaves
- 1/2 tsp salt
METHOD:
- Peel and slice the carrots, peel and finely chop the ginger
- Heat the oil in a karhai or wok over a medium heat. When it is hot, add in sequence the cumin seeds, asafoetida, ginger and whole chillies, stirring between each addition.
- As the ginger begins to brown, add the sliced carrots, coriander and turmeric. Stir and fry for a couple of minutes
- Add the dill and salt, turn the heat to low and cover with a lid. Cook for another couple of minutes, until the carrots are cooked.
- Remove the carrots from the oil and drain away most of the oil.
This is delicious as a side dish, with rice and a range of other curries. Last night I was just on my own so I had it with a little bit of nan and yoghurt.