Simple Carrot Ginger Stir Fry

Sometimes simple things in life are most beautiful and most enjoyable. Like sipping your morning coffee while listening to the birds chirping outside. Or relaxing on the beach on a hot day under an umbrella and reading a good novel. Or just listening to an infant’s toothless laughter. Or watching your favorite movie for the 100^th time and still getting choked up. And this stir fry is right up that alley.

It just takes a few minutes to prepare this dish. But, you have to take your time to enjoy eating this. And if you’re a ginger lover, do make this today. My dad is a big ginger lover and I made this for him years back as just a impromptu side dish – since carrots and ginger always go well together. From then, this has always been in my must-do-list when dad is visiting.

Do find the juiciest and most tender ginger you can get your hands on for this dish. You don’t want to use ginger that might not get ground in a mixer too! Not for this dish. Also, pick the freshest carrots – firm and juicy.

Peel and chop the carrots and ginger lengthwise into long bits.

Microwave the carrots in water in a glass bowl for about 3-4 mins so that they get a little cooked. You’ll need a just blanched consistency – not too soft and completely cooked. Or you could just blanch them in hot water for a minute. Set aside. You can reuse the water for anything else you’re cooking like rasam or sambar or even to cook rice. Its got some vitamins from the carrots and let’s not just waste it down the drain.

In a pan, add about 2 tsps of cooking oil. When hot, add mustard seeds and let it splutter. Add some fresh green curry leaves next. Once that sizzles, go ahead and add the cut ginger. Saute for a min.

Then, add the blanched carrots in here and mix well with the ginger.

For flavoring, I keep it real simple and add just salt, a pinch or turmeric and 1 tsp of red chilli powder. You can get creative with seasoning if you’d like.

Cook for about 5 mins and you’re done. Do make sure that the carrots are not cooked mushy – they need to have a bite in them. That is what makes it tasty.

Serve hot.

And yes, please do eat the ginger too. They taste really good. And the carrots get the spice from the gingers and the gingers get a little sweetness from the carrots. It’s a marriage made in the pan. And we can all relish it!

Enjoy. Peace out!