Indian Carrot Stir-fry

Growing up my mom would make a variation of this Indian carrot dish or a regular basis. I remember coming back from school and cringing when I realized that this carrot meal was on the menu for the evening. I grew to despise this carrot meal, so much so that I stopped eating carrots for a while.

It was not until I was a young adult on my own that I missed this meal and learned to appreciate this Indian carrot stir-fry meal. I eventually learned how to cook a variation of this meal to fill a void and help manage homesickness.

In a way this meal became my chicken soup for the soul. It became a reminder of my childhood – market trips to pick up fresh veggies with mom and dad, strong aromas of masalas through the apartment, mom and dad sitting to a late weeknight dinner in front of a blaring television. This meal was in essence a reminder of home.

My mom always cooked small portions. Her version of this meal used a couple of carrots, ginger, garlic, and tomatoes and a variety of masalas. For some reason I was always out of the holy grail of ginger, garlic, and tomatoes. So I adapted a variation of this recipe A tempered base mixed with masalas prior to adding and cooking the carrots help highlight the fresh crunch of the root vegetable. While the cilantro added at the end adds a pungent lemony mix to bring all the flavors together.

While slightly different than my mom’s, the smells and tastes of my recipe were undoubtedly a teleport back home. And the mix spices/masalas help highlight the fresh carrots and cilantro. So, give this recipe a try if you are looking for a heart-warming meal or if you are looking for a new carrot dish.