CARROTS Escaping the KORMA Police
"Men in uniform are hot..." murmured Trobee during a recent NC spicing session.
"You think so, huh?" said I. "That surprises me a little."
Uniforms signify proper-ness, predictability and, well, uniformity. Don't they? Correctness, conformity...that sort of thing? I would've thought Trobee would avoid the uniform's presumptive authority -- we all know our Trobee likes to have the upper hand.
But hey, whatever floats your boat. We all have different flavor n' spice preferences here at the NC, and I like it that way. Diversity is good.
And she persisted: "Oh hell yeah." She elaborated on that sentiment with a sordid story from her eventful Halloween night at one of her nightlife hangouts. Something involving (dressed-up) police officers, her (pretend) arrest and... furry handcuffs? Something like that. (Yes, plenty of drama, gossip and entertainment swirling about here at the NC kitchen.) And maybe Trobee looked upon uniforms as a challenge. A mystery to master. An inner truth to expose beneath a polished facade.
Or she just thinks men in uniform are hot.
RECIPE B-R-E-A-K-D-O-W-N
"So what's our plan today, Courty?"
A fitting project indeed. "We're going to finalize a dish that Trina and I have breezed through a few times," I told her. "It's healthy, it's easy, it's tasty... a carrot korma."
Trobee nodded. She was familiar with the word korma, a term found in many titles of North Indian dishes, including Indian restaurant fare.
"So it's mild and creamy-like."
"See that's the thing," said I. "There's nothing creamy in this dish, not even a sauce with ground nuts. In fact there isn't a gravy at all. But it's a real cool little dish. I think you'll like it." I was looking forward to trying it with the full amount of chillies as the recipe listed -- Trina had cut back, as she usually does in the spicy-hot department.
The recipe, Gajar Korma, comes to us from Sushma, who is behind the Indian cooking blog [humbly] called 'Recipe Source'. Well, actually it wasn't the one she sent, but this humble number twinkled out at me like a snappy little star. For it was a bit rebellious, yes, as it was labelled korma when it was so unkorma-like (a false uniform?). I thought of asking Sushma about it, but I couldn't come up with the right words. (Plus I forgot.) And anyway, who was I -- the Korma Police?
So long as it tastes good. And that it's do-able and healthy-ish.
* * *
And when the Carrot Korma was all cooked up:
Trobee looked upon it with affection. "It is pretty. Looks a lot like our Spunky Carrot Relish. Probably tastes way different though, huh?"
"Go on and try it."
She scooped up a bite. Her eyes widened. "Mmm. I can't even believe it.... Carrots! Frickin delish."
"Yeah, I'm seeing visions with this one. Just think of how you could use the leftovers, too..."
Below: Leftover Carrot Korma with cream cheese, crackers and fixings.
Below: Some Carrot Korma in a frittata (an omelette-type thing.) Cheese or NO cheese?
Below: Sprinkle Carrot Korma over Ramen or Maggi Noodles.
Photos by Trina and Trobee.
Top graphic by Mo Digital. Shout out to Erik Patterson for letting us use his cool 'Carrots Blurred' pic to jazz it up.
Gajar (Carrot) Korma
- 2 cups grated carrots
- 2 tsp oil
- 4 garlic cloves
- 1 tsp black mustard seeds
- 1 tsp cumin seeds
- ¼ tsp turmeric powder
- 3 Tb coconut powder
- 2 tsp lemon juice
- salt
Masala
- 1/4 tsp fennel seeds
- 1/2 tsp coriander seeds
- 1/4 tsp cumin seeds
- 3-4 dried red chilies, broken to bits (Trina de-seeds them)
1) Prepare a paste: Add the Masala to the coffee grinder and whiz it to a powder. Then add the garlic and create a smooth paste. (Add a bit of water if necessary.) Set aside.
2) In a medium skillet, heat the oil until it is sizzle hot. Add the black mustard seeds and the cumin seeds. As soon as the black mustard seeds have quit popping, add the paste, and cook until the mixture is light brown.
3) Add the carrots, turmeric, coconut powder and salt. Cook 15-20 minutes or until the carrots are tender.
4) Add the lemon juice and stir it all up. Done.
