golden rays of Spring colours peeking through….
and enjoying this unusual stillness…
a simple carrot palya
for Anna
Serves 4 (I use 1 small-medium carrot per person).
This is such a quick & easy dish to make to serve with dosa. Especially good with a bowl of guacamole and a spicy Indian Sambar. The secret to getting this simple palya just right is to saute the grated carrot very minimally so that it is just slightly soft, but still retains its freshness and isn’t overcooked. I found that using the smaller grater attachment on the food processor or box grater makes a difference to the finished dish. The jaggery and coconut make it slightly sweet, so it is a favourite with the younger and more fussier eaters in the family. I keep it very simple as I love how the carrots get to shine, but you could easily spruce it up by adding finely chopped fresh coriander, a squeeze of lemon and a sprinkling of lemon zest.
ingredients
3 medium carrots
1 Tbsp spoon ghee/oil
½ tsp mustard seeds
¼ tsp turmeric powder
1 generous tsp jaggery/brown sugar
2 heaped Tbsp unsweetened dried coconut
¼ tsp fine rock salt
preparation
1. Top, tail and peel the carrots. Either using a smaller hand grater or your food processor (using the smaller grater attachment), grate the carrots. Pick out the bigger bits and finely chop them, adding back in with the rest of the grated carrots. Set aside.
2. In a skillet, add the ghee and mustard seeds; when they turn grey, then add the turmeric and grated carrots, use two spoons and toss the carrots around as you would toss a salad, keeping the carrots moving – saute just for a minute or two.
3. Add the jaggery and dried coconut and a sprinkling of salt.
Serve immediately, or if you are making ahead, transfer to another dish so it doesn’t continue to cook, then serve at room temperature.
Goodness shared by Stacey
