Glazed Carrots

In India, carrots are more often used raw in salads, as crisp pickle spears or in sweet halvas than as a cooked vegetable. They are brilliant orange-red roots, harvested both young and sweet or oversized as giants. Most Americans have three choices: baby carrots 2-3 inches (5-7.5 cm) long, medium-sized carrots and large tapered carrots with a fibrous core. You can use any of them with slightly different preparation. Finger-thick babies require little preparation: simply trim the ends and slice in half lengthwise. To prepare medium-sized carrots, peel and trim the ends and slice on the diagonal about ½ inch (1.5 cm) thick. When dealing with mature carrots, peel, trim the ends, slice in half length wise and remove the core (insert a small pointed knife beneath the core at the thick end of the carrot and pry the core free). Cut the hollow carrots on the diagonal into ½ -inch (1.5 cm) lengths.

 I first had this dish while traveling through the Punjab. It was prepared in an alkaline Himalayan sparkling water, though still water with a lemon or apple juice yields an equally flavorful cardamom glaze.

 

Preparation time (after assembling ingredients): 10 minutes

Cooking time: 20- 40 minutes Serves: 4 or 5
 

Ingredients

• Baby carrots, about 1 pound (455 g), 6-8 Medium-sized or 4 – 5 large, cut as described above – 30 

• Ghee or unsalted butter – 3 table spoons (45 ml) 

• Brown sugar or maple syrup – 2 table spoons (30 ml) 

• Turmeric – ¼ teaspoon (1 ml) 

• Coarsely crushed cardamom seeds – ½ teaspoon (2 ml) 

• Ground coriander – ½ teaspoon (2 ml)

• Orange or apple juice – 2 table spoons (30 ml) 

• Still or sparkling mineral water – 2/3 cup (160 ml) 

• Salt – ½ teaspoon (2 ml) 

• Freshly ground pepper or cayenne pepper – 1/8 teaspoon (0.5 ml) 
• Coarsely chopped fresh coriander or minced fresh parsley – 2 table spoons (30 ml) 

• Fresh lime or lemon juice – 1 teaspoon (5 ml) 

• Freshly grated nutmeg – ¼ teaspoon (1 ml) 
 

Preparation

1. Place the carrots in a single layer in a roomy skillet or sauté pan. Add 2 table-spoons (30 ml) of ghee or butter and the sweetener, turmeric, cardamom seeds, ground coriander, orange or apple juice, water and salt. Bring to a boil, cover and reduce the heat to low. Simmer young carrots for as little as 20 minutes, older ones for up to 40 minutes.

2. When almost all of the water has evaporated, uncover and rapidly boil off the remainder. Shake the pan to keep the carrots from sticking. When the carrots are coated with a shiny glaze, remove the pan from the heat and add the remaining 1 tablespoon (15 ml) of ghee or butter and the pepper and fresh herb. Shake the pan to mix the ingredients. Just before serving, toss with lime or lemon juice and nutmeg.
 

By Yamuna  Devi Dasi