Crispy Sesame Carrots

By Margy@hidethecheese • March 2, 2011 • 8 Comments

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Author Notes: I prefer cooked carrots to retain a bit of crunch and cooking them on the stove top allows me to know when they are done to my liking. Also, browning them over high heat adds a bit of depth to their natural sweetness.The carrots stand on their own as a side dish, or could be the start of a stir fry, noodle dish, or salad. - Margy@hidethecheese

Serves 6

2 teaspoons black seasme seeds
1 teaspoon five spice powder
2 teaspoons sesame oil (untoasted)
10 carrots, peeled and sliced thinly on a diagonal
salt to taste
1 garlic clove, peeled and sliced in thin slivers
1 teaspoon toasted sesame oil

Place a medium-sized saute pan over medium heat and add the sesame seeds. Cook them for about a minute, tossing them to toast them evenly. Add the five spice powder and toast it until it is fragrant, about 30 seconds. Remove the pan from the heat and pour the mixture into a bowl. Use a clean paper towel to wipe out the pan.
Return the pan to the heat and raise the heat to high. Add the sesame oil and when it is hot, swirl it around the pan. Add the carrots and let them sit for a minute or two without stirring so that they brown. Add the slivers of garlic.
Stir the carrots or, if you are feeling chef-y toss the pan so that the carrots all flip and cook on the other side. Continue to cook, stirring or tossing so that the carrots brown evenly, until they are tender but still crisp, about 10 minutes. Add the sesame seeds and five spice powder as well as the toasted sesame oil and stir to coat the carrots evenly. Serve immediately.