Spiced pan roasted carrots with a lovely gooey homemade lemon and cilantro compound butter… This is such a great side dish for juicy pork chops or fatty steaks.
Yum!
This bowlful of pan roasted carrots was actually a shear luck creation.
Last Saturday morning I was at the local farmer’s market here in town.
And because the weather was surprisingly mild that day I strolled around for just a little longer than I usually do up there.
Saturday Farmers Market
My happy feet took me to a shadier corner on the market square.
And that is where I discovered quite a few interesting new farmers stalls with exquisite cheeses, fresh oysters and gorgeous rye breads on offer.
But what caught my eye in the end was a very small stall displaying brilliant vegetables with the most incredible colors.
It also happened that I was in need of a delicious side dish for that evening.
I was planning on preparing simple piccalilli cream sauce pork chops anyway.
Easy Roasted Carrots & Cilantro Butter
And I kind of hoped that I would find some last minute inspiration at the farmers market that day.
Which also happened!
I just loved that vibrant color and crispy fresh look of the carrot greens. Top notch vegetables by the looks of it.
And for a real bargain.
So I grabbed this bunch of lovely, bright and fresh baby carrots.
I think I paid less than 1 euro for the lot.
And told myself I would somehow find a good way to prepare them at home. So during the afternoon I started brainstorming about a carrot side dish for our pork chop dinner.
Carrot Side Dish
In the end I decided to add a bunch of Eastern spices to the lovely roasted carrots.
Making a compound butter to go with it seemed like a great idea.
So I went to work. In the end I dressed the warm pan roasted carrots with a good spoonful of creamy homemade lemon and cilantro butter.
I was over the moon with the result, and so was my husband!
Enjoy!
Easy Roasted Carrots & Cilantro Butter Recipe
Spiced pan roasted carrots in a melted homemade lemon and cilantro butter. This is such a great side dish for juicy pork chops or fatty steaks.
- 1 ½ lb fresh carrots (675 g)
- 1 tbsp lemon zest
- 3 tbsp fresh cilantro chopped
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 3 tbsp unsalted butter soft
- 1 small garlic clove mashed
- ⅓ tsp cumin seeds
- 3 cardamom pods
- ⅓ tsp coriander seeds
- ⅓ tsp sesame seeds or nigella seeds
- pepper
- salt
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Peel, clean and trim the carrots. Then cut them up into bite-size pieces.
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In a large and dry skillet, add the seeds and the cardamom. Don’t add any oil or butter yet. Dry roast them first for extra flavor. Place the skillet over high heat. Once the seeds start to pop, shake the skillet every 10 seconds for 2 minutes. Then turn the heat to medium and pour in the olive oil.
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Bake the seeds for a minute. Then add the sliced carrots and the garlic. Season with pepper and salt.
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Let the carrots bake and cook for 30 minutes until tender and a little brown. Stir them regularly. Don’t put a lid on the pan. Add extra olive oil if necessary. In the meantime combine the soft unsalted butter, the lemon zest and the freshly chopped cilantro. Season with a pinch of pepper and salt. Then stir the butter well.
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Chill the butter in the fridge for now until needed later on. Once the carrots are baked, take the skillet off the heat and add the cilantro butter.
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Stir well until the butter is completely melted and the carrots are nicely coated. Check the seasoning. Add extra pepper or salt to taste. Transfer the carrots to a serving bowl. Drizzle with the remaining melted cilantro butter. Serve immediately.
Thank you, Alida! Yep these carrots are delicious, I love the buttery glaze on them! And that touch of fresh cilantro, perfect flavor combination! 😀