Baked Shredded Carrots

The NYT review. Sarah Chen called at 8 AM on a Tuesday, which is either very good news or very bad news. It was very good news. 'The New York Times reviewed the book. Listen.' She read it to me over the phone. The reviewer called 'Enough' 'a love letter to a woman who measured in handfuls and cooked from memory.' A love letter to a woman who measured in handfuls. Someone at the New York Times read my book and understood. Not just liked — understood. The handfuls. The memory. The woman. I hung up and sat at the kitchen counter and put my head down on the granite — the granite that hides turmeric — and breathed. I told Amma that afternoon. 'The New York Times reviewed the book, Amma.' 'What did they say?' 'They called it a love letter to a woman who measured in handfuls.' She considered this. 'I don't measure in handfuls. I measure correctly.' 'They meant it as a compliment.' 'A compliment about my hands?' 'A compliment about your cooking.' 'Hmph.' I taped the review to the refrigerator. Below it, Anaya wrote a note in her five-year-old handwriting: 'Paati would pretend she wasn't impressed.' Anaya wrote that. Five years old. She knows her grandmother well enough to predict the response. She knows that Amma's hmph is her standing ovation. The review is on the refrigerator. The note is below it. The book is in the New York Times. Amma would pretend she wasn't impressed. But the hmph — the hmph was proud.

After I lifted my head off the granite counter and stopped shaking, I did what I always do when I don’t know what else to do: I cooked. Not something elaborate — something Amma would make without thinking, the kind of dish that doesn’t need a recipe because it never had one. Baked shredded carrots, soft and golden, barely seasoned, the sort of thing she’d set on the table with a hmph and walk away from. That afternoon it tasted like everything the reviewer had understood, and everything Amma would never say out loud.

Prep Time: 10 minutes | Cook Time: 25 minutes | Total Time: 35 minutes | Servings: 4

Ingredients

1 lb carrots, peeled and coarsely shredded (about 4 cups)
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
1 tablespoon olive oil
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1/4 teaspoon ground coriander
1/4 teaspoon turmeric
1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt, or to taste
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 teaspoon honey or brown sugar (optional, for a touch of sweetness)
Fresh cilantro or flat-leaf parsley, for serving

Instructions

Heat the oven. Preheat your oven to 400°F (200°C). Line a large rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper.
Shred the carrots. Using the large holes of a box grater or a food processor fitted with a shredding disc, coarsely shred the peeled carrots. You should have about 4 loosely packed cups.
Season. In a large bowl, toss the shredded carrots with the melted butter, olive oil, cumin, coriander, turmeric, salt, pepper, and honey if using. Mix well until every strand is lightly coated.
Spread and bake. Spread the carrots in an even layer on the prepared baking sheet — do not pile them; spread them as flat as possible so they caramelize rather than steam. Bake for 20–25 minutes, stirring once halfway through, until the edges are golden and slightly crisp.
Finish and serve. Taste and adjust salt. Transfer to a serving dish and scatter fresh cilantro or parsley over the top. Serve warm as a side dish alongside rice, dal, roasted chicken, or flatbread.

Nutrition (per serving)

Baked Shredded Carrots — The Recipe Amma Would Never Measure Twice