This is What’s 🥕Up, Doc!🐰
Here’s an easy to make side dish that packs a punch of flavor. If you’re like me, you’re always searching for new ways to jazz up side dishes for special dinners. This is a side that’s both sweet and spicy. Carrots get the upgrade in this simple to put together recipe. Carrots and curry go so beautifully together. The zing of the curry and other spices add zip to my favorite way to cook veggies, just a simple roasting, which brings out so much flavor all on its own. Top with the spicy candied nuts and these Curried Roasted Carrots are mouth-wateringly scrumptious.
What’s The What With Curry?
Yellow curry is my favorite of the curries. It’s color comes from turmeric and the blend of spices is less hot than red curry and both yellow and red are less hot that green curry. There are many versions of curry recipes, and you can make your own. I have a blend for curry powder that’s quite nice. You can get my recipe here https://wp.me/p9KEfL-bc . But generally, I just buy yellow curry powder in the spice isle of the grocery store. It’s all put together and ready to go.
Red curry gets it’s color and heat from red Thai chili called bird chili peppers. This blend is hotter than the yellow. Green Thai Curry is made with fresh, young, green Thai chilies which are even hotter than the red chili peppers.
Authentic curry is spiced with citrus flavor from lemon grass, galangal, fenugreek seeds, etc. Things that are not in most of our home pantries or spice shelves.
If you want to see the heat index of various chilies, here’s a link to the Scoville Scale which ranks the heat in peppers. https://www.chilipeppermadness.com/frequently-asked-questions/the-scoville-scale/
The Sweet and Spicy Candied Nuts 🥜
You can make these nuts with either pecans or walnuts. They are sweet and spicy and I dare you to keep from eating them once they come out of the oven. The combination of flavors is kind of irresistable!
Preheat the oven to 300°. Line a baking pan with parchment paper.
Into a small bowl, mix 1/4 cup granulated sugar, 1/4 cup packed light brown sugar and 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon, 1/4 teaspoon (or more or less to taste) of cayenne pepper and 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt. Mix to combine.
In a medium sized bowl, whisk 1 egg white with a teaspoon of water. Whisk until frothy.
Add 8 ounces of pecans or walnuts and toss to coat well. Next, add the sugar and spice mixture and coat evenly by tossing the nuts until they are thoroughly coated.
Pour the mixture out onto a single layer on the prepared baking pan. Bake for 15 minutes, then stir the nuts and bake another 15-20 minutes until the coating on the nuts has hardened. Remove from the oven to cool. You can store these nuts in a air tight container for a few days.
The Curried Roasted Carrots
Preheat the oven to 400° Wash and peel whole carrots. In this version, I am cutting the carrots on the bias.
Put the carrots on a baking sheet lined with parchment. Top with 1 tablespoon olive oil and 1 tablespoon honey or maple syrup. Into a small bowl, add 3 teaspoons yellow curry powder, 1 teaspoon ground ginger, 1 teaspoon cumin powder and 1 teaspoon kosher salt and 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper. Top the vegetables with the seasonings and toss to coat evenly, then roast for about 30 minutes until the carrots are tender and starting to turn brown.
To Serve
Put the Curried Roasted Carrots onto a serving platter, then top with the candied nuts and then add some freshly chopped cilantro or parsley. Enjoy!
Curried Roasted Carrots Topped with Sweet and Spicy Candied Nuts
Ingredients
For the Curried Carrots
- 2 pounds fresh carrots
- 3 teaspoons yellow curry powder
- 1 teaspoon ground ginger
- 1 teaspoon cumin powder
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 tablespoon honey or maple syrup
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
- Garnish: Chopped fresh cilantro or parsley (or carrot top greens)
For the Spiced Candied Nuts
- 8 ounces pecans or walnuts (chopped or whole)
- 1 egg white
- 1 teaspoon water
- 1/4 cup granulated sugar
- 1/4 cup packed light brown sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
Instructions
- The Sweet and Spicy Candied Nuts
- You can make these nuts with either pecans or walnuts.
- Preheat the oven to 300°. Line a baking pan with parchment paper.
- Into a small bowl, mix 1/4 cup granulated sugar, 1/4 cup packed light brown sugar and 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon, 1/4 teaspoon (or more or less to taste) of cayenne pepper and 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt. Mix to combine.
- In a medium sized bowl, whisk 1 egg white with a teaspoon of water. Whisk until frothy. Add 8 ounces of pecans or walnuts and toss to coat well. Next, add the sugar, spice mixture and coat evenly by tossing the nuts until they are thoroughly coated.
- Pour the mixture out onto a single layer on the prepared baking pan. Bake for 15 minutes, then turn the nuts and bake another 15-20 minutes until the coating on the nuts has hardened. Remove from the oven to cool. You can store these nuts in a air tight container for a few days.
- The Curried Carrots
- Preheat the oven to 400° Wash and peel whole carrots. Cut the carrots on the bias, about 1/4 inch thick.
- Put the carrots on a baking sheet lined with parchment. Top with 1 tablespoon olive oil and 1 tablespoon honey. In a small bowl, add 3 teaspoons yellow curry powder, 1 teaspoon ground ginger and 1 teaspoon cumin powder, 1 teaspoons kosher salt and 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper, mix well. Top the veggies with the spice and toss to coat evenly, then roast for about 30 minutes until the carrots are tender and starting to turn brown.
- To Serve
- Put the carrots into a serving platter, then top with the candied nuts and then add some freshly chopped cilantro or parsley. Enjoy!
