BUTTERY CARROTS

Vegetables are a must on a diet. I suggest carrot cake, zucchini bread, and pumpkin pie. - Jim Davis

Carrots are full up with beta carotene which the human digestive system metabolizes into vitamin A. Vitamin A is what keeps our eyes sharp, immune function up, skin shiny and bones strong. Raw carrots only release 3% of their beta carotene value but cooking and the addition of cooking oil or butter can result in the carrots releasing up to 39%. Apart from beta carotenes carrots will also serve up a good dose of dietary fibre, antioxidants and minerals.

The sweetness of the vegetable lends itself to being used in desserts - gaajar ka halwa and carrot cakes are on my recipe to do list. We've already had carrot soup on this blog.

While I cook carrots for all these good reasons I think my favourite bit is the cheerful pop of orange red on the table. Look at how pretty this simple dish can be:

Serves 4

Adapted from Good Food Magazine

 

What you’ll need:
 

½ kg carrots (cut into chunks)

500 ml vegetable stock (I usually just melt a cube of Maggi vegetable stock in a pan of hot water)

3 tbsp butter

3 bay leaves

1 tsp coriander seeds

1 tsp dried thyme or oregano (or whatever seasoning you have on hand)

½ tsp sugar

Salt and pepper to season

 

How to:
 

1. Pop butter into a pan, stir around with bay leaves, coriander seeds. Add the carrots and stir some more. Finally add the vegetable stock and whatever seasoning you’ve picked and cook covered for 5 minutes.
 

2. Once the carrots start to get tender cook with no lid so the stock can evaporate and the carrots get all glazed and shiny.