Peel the carrots and chop them into ⅓ inch (8 mm) slices. Then transfer them to a large saucepan. Add water until the carrots are submerged. Season with a pinch of salt.

Place the pan over medium heat until boiling. Cook the carrots for about 5 minutes until they are somewhere between tender and still crunchy. Immediately strain the carrots and rinse them under cold running tap water to stop the cooking process.

Let the carrots drain. In the meantime pour a little olive oil in a non-stick pan and then add the star anise, chopped garlic, cumin seeds (or ground cumin) and coriander seeds (optional).

Then place the pan over medium heat. Stir fry the ingredients for 3 minutes until the garlic is soft. Take the pan off the heat and add the cooked carrot.

Stir well. Add the vinegar, chopped cilantro and pepper and salt to taste.

Stir the carrot salad well. Let it cool at room temperature for 10 minutes. Then serve the carrot salad lukewarm or at room temperature.