XACUTTI!

Carrot Xacutti,is my contribution to Nupur from "One Hot Stove" blog's "A to Z Indian Vegetables" event.This week's letter is "X", thanks for hosting Nupur!:)

Health benefits of Carrots:

Carrots and Bugs bunny!! How can we forget the image we all can easily and quickly visualize and drilled into our brains as kids watching all those cartoons?!:D
The carrot can trace its ancestry back thousands of years, originally having been cultivated in central Asian and Middle Eastern countries.Carrots are an excellent source of antioxidant compounds, and the richest vegetable source of the pro-vitamin A carotenes. Carrots' antioxidant compounds help protect against cardiovascular disease and cancer and also promote good vision, especially night vision.Intake of foods such as carrots that are rich in carotenes may be beneficial to blood sugar regulation.Carrots grow in a host of other colors including white, yellow, red, or purple, the Purple being the color of the original variety! More info at here.


What's Xacutti?
Xacutti or Xacuti or Sha-kooti is another very popular Spicy Goan dish just like Vindaloo, usually made with Chicken or lamb,ground coconut, hot chillies and spices,although it was originally supposed to be a vegetarian dish. I made it with Carrots to make it sweet and hot.Last week, I absentmindedly bought another big bag of baby Carrots last week and had to use them quickly!!(Bee has also posted a Xacuti with little different recipe using cauliflower for "X" yesterday.Check that out too!)
Xacutti is pronounced as "Sha-kooti" which means vegetables mixed with spices.It's the rich mix of spices which makes it very tasty and adding Vinegar instead of usual Tamarind or lemon juice makes it Goan! Enjoy.

Carrot Xacutti:




Xacutti masala pd:


2-3 Kashmiri dry chillies or 1 tsp Paprika, 1 tbsp coriander seeds,1 tsp cumin seeds, 1/2 tsp Fenugreek seeds, 2 tsp poppy seeds, 2 cardamoms, powdered,4 cloves,1" cinnamon,1 tsp Fennel seeds,1/4 tsp Ajwain, pinch of Nutmeg pd and Mace pd,1/4 cup dry coconut ; all roasted separately and ground together to a fine powder.Keep it aside.





You Need:
4 cups Baby Carrots,chopped into thick rounds,1/2 tsp mustard seeds,1 tsp Urad dal,1 tomato(optional) 1 large onions chopped finely,2 garlic, 1" piece ginger(both ground), salt,turmeric,Cilantro, 1 tsp Malt vinegar(or any kind you have) or lemon juice ,1/2 tsp Garam masala.

How to make it:
1. Heat 2 tbsp oil. Add mustard seeds and onions,fry until golden, and add the ground ginger-garlic paste, fry. Add ground masala pd and Vinegar. Stir frequently and fry until the color turns reddish and add 1/4 cup water.
2. Add carrots, turmeric and salt, mix well. Fry for a few minutes, pour in a cup of water and cover the lid. Reduce heat and simmer gently until the carrots are soft but not mushy and the gravy has thickened.Adjust the seasoning.
3. Sprinkle lemon juice(only if needed),cilantro and garam masala. Serve with Parathas or rice if you make the gravy little thinner.

Enjoy the "X" factor!!;D