- 1–2 red chillies, cut into thin rings at an angle (and deseeded, if you prefer less heat)
- 1½ tablespoon white-wine vinegar
- ½ teaspoon superfine sugar
- 1-¾ lb. carrots, peeled, cut in half lengthways and roughly chopped into 3/4"/2cm pieces (800g net weight)
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
- ¼ teaspoon ginger, peeled and julienned (5g)
- ½ teaspoon nigella seeds
- ½ teaspoon fennel seeds
- ½ teaspoon cumin seeds
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 teaspoon curry powder
- ¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ½ tablespoon lime juice
- 1 scallion, trimmed and finely sliced on an angle
- ¼ cup mint leaves, finely shredded (5g)
You’ll be surprised how much flavour you can get from carrots when you give them the chilli heat and sweet spice treatment. To make this mash dairy-free, use olive oil instead of butter; if you do, heat the oil with the ginger and seeds for only a couple of minutes, until fragrant.
ingredients
directions
1. Put the chillies, vinegar and sugar in a small bowl with a quarter-teaspoon of salt, massage together and leave to pickle for at least 30 minutes, and ideally overnight. |
2. Put the carrots in a steaming basket (or colander that fits inside a large pot with a lid). Fill a large saucepan with enough water to come 1-1/2 inches/4cm up the sides. Bring to a boil on high heat, then place the steamer (or colander) in the pan. Cover with a lid (or seal well with aluminum foil) to prevent steam from escaping. Steam the carrots for about 25 minutes, or until you can cut through them easily with a knife. |
3. While the carrots are steaming, put the butter, ginger, all the spice seeds and a generous pinch of salt in a small saucepan on a medium heat. Cook gently for three to five minutes, stirring occasionally, until the butter begins to foam and turn light brown and the seeds become fragrant, then take off the heat. Set aside until ready to serve. (You may need to gently melt the butter again, if it has set, when you're plating.) |
4. Put the carrots into the bowl of a food processor with the olive oil, curry powder, cinnamon, and 1 tsp salt and blitz for 1 minute, until you get a semi smooth mash (it should still have some texture and not be completely smooth). |
5. Spoon the mash on to a large plate, and make dimples all over the surface with the back of a spoon. Drizzle over the butter with the ginger and seeds, then sprinkle over the lime juice. Drain the pickled chillies, scatter over the top, and finish with the spring onions and mint. Serve warm. |
Notes
 The mash and pickled chiles can be made the day before if you want to get ahead, but the butter should be made not long before serving, so the seeds stay crunchy. Use olive oil instead of butter if you want to keep this dairy-free. |
Keywords
Vegetarian
