Deep-Fried Julienne Potatoes and Carrots

This is an easy dish for the kitchen with a good mandoline or a food processor. The peeled vegetables can be hand-cut across the julienne blade to yield perfectly uniform straws. Cuisinart has a blade that makes reasonably fine julienne vegetables in seconds. With out a julienne blade, use a standard 3-4 mm slicing disk. Pre-cut the carrots and potatoes to fit horizontally into the feeding tube. Slice, then remove the slices and stack them, cut side up, in the feeding tube. Process again to yield fine julienne. This is not a main-dish vegetable but rather a little nibbler. Allow 3-4 table spoons (45-60 ml) per serving.

 

Preparation time: 30 minutes by hand or 5 minutes with food processor

Soaking time: 30 minutes

Cooking time: about 15 minutes
 

Ingredients

• Carrots (about 6 ounces/170 g), peeled – 2 large 

• Baking potatoes (about 12 ounces/340 g), peeled – 2 medium-sized 

• Ghee or vegetable oil for deep-frying

• Fine salt – ¼ – ½ teaspoon (1-2 ml) 

• Cayenne pepper or paprika – ¼ teaspoon (1 ml) 

• Lemon juice – 1 table spoon (15 ml) 
 

Preparation

1. To cut the vegetables in a food processor, attach the fine julienne blade. Cut the carrots and potatoes into pieces 2 ½ inches (6.5 cm) long and load them horizontally in the processor chute. This will make 2 ½ inch (6.5 cm) long julienne. To cut the vegetables by hand, first cut them lengthwise into slices about 1/8 inch (3 mm) wide. Then cut them crosswise into pieces 2 ½ inches (6.5 cm) long. Try to make all the pieces uniform in size so that they will take the same time to cook.

2. Soak the cut vegetables in separate bowls of ice water for 30 minutes. Pat thoroughly dry with paper towels.

3. Pour enough Ghee or oil into a frying vessel to fill it to depth of 2 inches (5 cm). Place the pan over moderately high heat until the temperature reaches 370 F (190 C) on a deep-frying thermometer. Fry a small handful of julienne carrots until golden brown and crisp. Remove with a slotted spoon and drain on paper towels. In batches, fry all of the carrots and potatoes.

4. Place the crisp straws in a bowl and sprinkle in the salt, cayenne or paprika and lemon juice and serve immediately. The vegetables will soften as they cool. Do not cover.
 

Serves
5 or 6
 

By Yamuna Devi Dasi