I'm not sure why, but even many children who are picky eaters seem to like carrots. Our children prefer them dunked in copious amounts of Ranch dressing, and presented that way, they will munch through a lot of them. This recipe is an attempt to change the humble carrot into something a bit more interesting for those of us that like to deviate from the Ranch dip once in a while.
I was inspired to make this recipe by a food52 contest, and my approach was to give those carrots an Asian twist, tossing them with sesame seeds, five spice powder, and sesame oil. They are cooked on the stove top so they do not get mushy, the kiss of death for cooked carrots. I loved the way they came out, slightly blackened from cooking at high heat, and laced with sesame flavors from the oil and the seeds. I think they will be even better with the first spring carrots that will soon be available.
We ate these carrots as a side dish on their own, but I think they would also be an excellent addition to a noodle salad or a stir fry.
As for the children, they all tried the carrots, resulting in the usual range of reactions from enthusiastic to lukewarm. I'll definitely make them again and try to win the children over so that I can eat them more often. The carrots, that is.
Black Sesame Carrots
Serves 6 as a side dish
10 minutes preparation time
10 minutes cooking time
2 teaspoons black seasme seeds
1 teaspoon five spice powder
2 teaspoons sesame oil (untoasted)
10 carrots, peeled and sliced thinly on a diagonal
salt to taste
1 garlic clove, peeled and sliced in thin slivers
1 teaspoon toasted sesame oil
Place a medium-sized saute pan over medium heat and add the sesame seeds. Toast them by cooking them for about a minute, tossing them a couple of times so that they cook evenly. Add the five spice powder and toast it until it is fragrant, about 30 seconds. Remove the pan from the heat and pour the mixture into a bowl. Use a clean paper towel to wipe out the pan.
Return the pan to the stovetop and raise the heat to high. Add the sesame oil and when it is hot, swirl it around the pan. Add the carrots and let them sit for a minute or two without stirring so that they brown. Add the slivers of garlic.
Stir the carrots or, if you are feeling chef-y, shake the pan so that the carrot slices flip and land on their opposite sides. Continue to cook, stirring or tossing so that the carrots brown evenly, until they are tender but still crisp, about 10 minutes. Add the sesame seeds and five spice powder as well as the toasted sesame oil and stir to coat the carrots evenly. Serve immediately.
My kids loves carrots too. I also try your recipe , I bet they would love it
Posted by: Sylvia | March 21, 2011 at 10:50 AM