Gajor Bata / Carrot Mash (the Bengali way)
Carrots are loaded with nutrients. Carrots are beneficial. I dislike carrots. So you can very well understand my plight. Since I was a girl, my mom used to site examples of my cousins (mama’s children) who snacked on baby carrots (while my brother and I snacked on chanachur, bhujia and nimki)! The older I grow, the more I begin to see my mom’s viewpoint. My quest for a low on oil and spices yet delectable carrot based recipe ended on this one. I needed a recipe that I could serve with the Bengali style meal we have for dinners and weekend lunches. This one hits the spot!
Ingredients:
- Carrots — peeled and grated
- Coconut — grated (Carrot : Coconut = 2:1)
- Garlic — couple of pods roughly chopped
- Mustard Seeds — both yellow/white and black varieties in more or less equal proportions
- Mustard Oil
- Green chillies (just a little — the would have a sweetish taste due to the carrots and coconut)
- Kaalo Jeerey — kalonji seeds
Method:
- Grind together the carrots, mustard seeds, garlic, green chillies and coconut to make a paste.
- Heat mustard oil in a pan.
- Temper with kaalo jeerey.
- Add the paste and stir fry till the moisture is gone.
- Serve warm with piping hot steamed rice.