Recipe: Barbecued marinated carrots

Carrots can be a rather unexciting vegetable, says Helen Graves. However, when marinated then grilled over a live fire, and served shiny and aromatic with a hot spiced butter, they really come into their own.

• 500g carrots, peeled and cut into quarters lengthways

For the carrot marinade

• 4 cloves garlic, peeled and crushed or grated
• 3 tbsp lime juice
• 2 tsp cumin seeds
• 2 tsp coriander seeds
• 2 cardamom pods, crushed and seeds removed
• 4 tbsp neutral oil e.g. groundnut

For serving

• strained yoghurt or other thick, cold yoghurt (around 250g should do it)
• a good knob of butter (about 25g), or ghee
• a good handful of fresh curry leaves
• 2 tsp brown mustard seeds

Method

• Toast the cumin and coriander seeds in a dry pan over a medium heat until fragrant, then grind or crush to a powder with the cardamom seeds.
• Mix the spices with all the other ingredients for the carrot marinade in a dish large enough to hold the veg in a shallow layer.
• Cook the carrots in boiling water for 3 mins, then drain. Add them to the marinade with some salt and mix well. Leave overnight or for a few hours.
• Prepare your barbecue for direct cooking, with a medium heat (let any flames die down). Place the carrots on it, until cooked through and lightly charred – around 15-20 mins.
• Spread the yoghurt onto a serving plate and top with the carrots. Melt the butter/ ghee in a small pan and add the seeds and leaves – when the seeds start to pop, pour the mixture over the carrots, sprinkle with some more salt, and serve.

Helen Graves is the editor of live-fire cooking magazine Pit; pitmagazine.uk