A healthier alternative

With fresh shades of orange, the carrot is making it’s presence felt in local markets. A vegetable with an daptable taste for both sweet and savoury dishes, here is a spread of carrot recipes to try before the winter leaves!

Lebanese carrot and chickpea soup
(A healthy filling soup full of warm spices .Serve with toasted pita or brown bread for a complete meal)

Ingredients

½ cup of chickpeas (boiled)
1 carrot (julienned)
I onion (finely sliced)
1 tomato (sliced)
1 tsp ginger (chopped)
1 tsp garlic (chopped)
1 tbsp mint (chopped)
1 tbsp coriander (chopped)
½ tsp garam masala
½ tsp cumin powder
½ tsp coriander powder
½ tsp chilli powder
½ tsp sugar
1 tbsp olive oil
Salt to taste
(for the purée)
3 carrots
2 tomatoes
1 onion
1 small potato
2-3 cloves of garlic

Method

To make a purée for the soup base peel chop and put the purée ingredients in a pressure cooker along with two cups of water. Cook for two whistles and let the pressure drop on its own.
Puree in a grinder and strain.
Heat the olive oil and add the onion and the garlic. Sauté on a low flame for three to four minutes and add the carrots and a pinch of salt. Cook till the carrots soften. Add all the spices sugar and salt to taste. Stir on a low flame to cook the spices. Add in the chickpeas, tomatoes, ginger and the purée. Simmer on a low flame for five minutes adding more water if required.
Serve hot with a wedge of lemon and sprinkled with coriander and mint.

Carrot Rabri
(This low calorie version of rabri is a treat to eat)

Ingredients
2 cups of skimmed milk
2 tbsp of milk powder
½ cup of grated soft paneer
1 cup of grated
carrots
4-5 tbsp sugar (you can substitute with raw sugar or jaggery for an even healthier version)
½ tsp cardamom
powder
2 tbsp chopped nuts

Method
Put the grated carrots in a steamer and steam till soft .
Heat the milk with the sugar and the milk powder. Mix well ensuring that there are no lumps and bring to a boil.
Add the grated steamed carrots and simmer for 5 minutes on a low flame. Now add the grated paneer, cardamom powder and simmer for two to three minutes.
Sprinkle the nuts on top before serving. Can be served either hot or cold.

Country chicken stew with carrots and bell pepper
Ingredients

1 country
chicken
6-8 medium sized
carrots
10-12 whole peeled
garlic
1 tsp black pepper
4 white onions (cut in quaters)
4 tomatoes (cut in quaters)
2 tbsp ginger-garlic paste (freshly ground)
1 tbsp rosemary
(freshly chopped)
4 tbsp ghee
Sea salt to taste

Method

In a heavy bottom pot, heat ghee and saute garlic, carrots, ginger-garlic paste and chicken. Add about two liters of water and let the ingredients cook.
In a separate pan, heat ghee and add bell pepper and onions, saute until they become soft. Add this to the pot of chicken cooking in the broth.
Add the rosemary and simmer on slow fire until the vegetables and chicked have cooked completely. Serve hot!

New England style carrot cake

Ingredients
(for cake)
2 cups shredded
carrots
3 tbsp walnuts
2 cups all purpose flour
4 eggs
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 tsp baking soda
½ can pineapple cubes
½ tsp nutmeg powder
½ tsp cinnamon powder
4 tbsp vegetable oil
(for cream cheese frosting)
150-180 gm cream cheese
6 tbsp softened butter
1 tsp orange zest (minced)
2 cups powdered sugar (sifted)

Method, (for cake)
Pre-heat oven to 3500 F. Grease and flour a 13x9 inch baking pan.
In a mixing bowl, beat together the sugar, oil, and vanilla, until just combined. At medium speed, beat in the egg one at a time. Stir in the flour, nutmeg, cinnamon, baking powder and baking soda.
To this add in the shredded carrots, pineapple and walnuts. Stir until just combined. Pour the batter into the pan. Bake until a firm crust forms.
Combine all the frosting ingredients and beat till smooth and soft peaks form.
Layer the cake top generously with the frosting and serve.