Easy Turnip Carrot Slaw - Make it Nutty and Spicy
Finely mince carrots and microwave 2 min on Hi. Shred turnips, add cooked carrots and stir in salt; microwave 1 min on Hi. Set aside to cool, then mix in peanuts, yogurt, sour cream, minced green chillies, cumin, celery seeds, cilantro, minced curry leaves (if using), lemon juice, vinegar, sugar and salt. Ready to serve immediately. Enjoy as a refreshing side with lunch/dinner or with a savory snack.
Equipment
- microwave oven If not available, the veggies can be cooked on the stove-top - it will take just a bit longer to cook. See Recipe Notes for details.
- 2 Microwave-safe glass/ceramic bowls - small-medium 2-3 cups size; I do NOT recommend using plastic bowls, even if they are described as microwave-safe. wide-shaped bowl preferred for cooking turnip-carrot mixture.
- Shredder Electric food processor with shredder attachment, or Manual shredder
- Chopper/Food processor Electric chopper/food processor works best for mincing carrots and crushing nuts. If not available, you can chop with a knife on a cutting board (it takes longer).
Ingredients
- 2/3 cup Turnips - washed, trimmed and shredded (medium shred) About 1-2 small-medium turnips; if you have extra, store the unused piece of turnip for another use.
- 1/3 cup Carrots: finely minced use electric chopper or food processor if available
- 1 tbsp Peanuts: preferably unsalted, dry-roasted, coarsely crushed if not available, use 1 tbsp finely chopped almonds/cashews; for nut-free, use sunflower seeds or pumpkin seeds)
- 1/4 tsp Salt - divide into 2 portions, 1/8 tsp each adjust as per preference
- 1/4 cup Yogurt Whole-milk yogurt recommended; low-fat/non-fat OK; for vegan, use your preferred vegan alternative
- 1/2 tsp Fresh green chillies - finely chopped Serrano or other medium spicy chilli pepper; add more/less as per spiciness preferred
- 1/2 tsp Cumin powder
- 2 tsp Sour Cream (optional) for vegan, use your preferred vegan alternative, or use 2 tsp of any mild-flavored oil of your choice; I highly recommend using some fat to help absorb nutrients better
- 1 tsp Lime/lemon juice - freshly squeezed preferred if not available, bottled juice is OK
- 1 tsp Apple Cider Vinegar if not available, use rice vinegar, white wine vinegar or distilled vinegar; OK to omit if serving with Indian food - add 1 tsp extra lemon juice instead
- 1/16 tsp Celery seeds (optional) - use for classic Slaw flavor crush a little in a mortar and pestle to release flavor; add a bit more if you like a strong celery seed flavor - it's pretty potent; OK to omit if using with Indian food; Note: this is not the same as celery salt - if using celery salt, use 1/8 tsp and cut back a little on added salt
- 6-8 leaves Fresh curry leaves - finely minced (optional) Adds a uniquely Indian flavor-twist to the slaw; if fresh leaves are not available, dried leaves OK: crumble dry leaves coarsely between fingers before adding; OK to omit
- 2 tbsp Fresh coriander leaves - (Cilantro) - chopped if not available, use fresh Parsley instead; do not use Parsley if serving with Indian food
- 1/2 tsp Sugar adjust later according to taste preference
Optional Garnish
- 1 tbsp Fresh grated coconut (frozen & thawed OK) very good if serving with Indian food
Instructions
- Wash and shred the turnip - medium shred
- Wash, peel and dice the carrots, then mince in a chopper / food processor
- Transfer to a ceramic/glass microwave safe bowl; Microwave on Hi for 2 min
- Transfer turnips into ceramic/glass microwave safe bowl. Top with cooked carrots and add 1/8 tsp salt.
- Mix and microwave on Hi for 1 min Set aside to cool.
- Meanwhile, wash and chop the green chillies, cilantro and curry leaves (if using)
- Cilantro
- Curry leaves (if using)
- Coarsely crush some roasted peanuts. I do this in a coffee/spice grinder: pulse-grind for 2-3 seconds at a time, until you get the texture you want; you can also use a manual nut chopper.Note: I recommend that you make a little extra and store in the pantry. That way, its on hand for you to add small amounts to any dish whenever you want to.
- Add all the remaining ingredients: yogurt, sour cream, chopped green chillies, crushed roasted peanuts, chopped cilantro (fresh coriander leaves), celery seeds, cumin powder, sugar, remaining portion of salt, lime/lemon juice and vinegar.Note: -Gently crush the celery seeds in a mortar and pestle to release flavor: add a bit more if you like, but note that it has a very strong flavor and it's easy to go overboard. - If you're using celery salt, use 1/8 tsp and use a bit less added salt, or the Slaw will become too salty!
- Mix together gently with a spoon and fork. Taste-test and adjust salt/sugar as needed.
- Serve with a meal as a side-salad, as a topping for any type of tacos, or pile on top of crackers, for a lovely little snack... Enjoy!
Notes
No Microwave?
No worries... It's easy to cook the minced carrots and turnips on the stove-top - just takes a few min longer.- Place a medium (8-10 inches/20-24 cm) heavy bottom shallow frying pan on the stove
- Add the minced carrots; pour 2 tbsp water on top. stir a bit and start heating - high for about 1 min, then on lowest setting for 3-4 min. Turn heat off.
- The added water should be mostly evaporated, otherwise heat on high for about 30 seconds, then turn the heat off.
- Do not let the carrots burn on the bottom - the low heat minimizes this possibility.
- Add the turnips on top of the carrot, sprinkle 1/8 tsp salt, mix gently to distribute the salt evenly.
- Turn heat on Hi for 30 seconds, then lower heat to lowest setting and cook for 1-2 min. Turn heat off.
- Remove pan from the hot stove and set aside to cool in the pan - about 10 min.
- Continue with recipe directions.
Advance Prep:
If you want to do some advance prep for making this slaw, these are the things you can do up to 24 hours in advance:- Shred the turnips and mince the carrots
- Store turnips in refrigerator until ready to make Slaw
- Cook the carrots:
- microwave on Hi 2 min, or
- frying pan on stove-top: add carrots, splash 2 tbsp water and cook for 3-4 min on med-hi, until water is absorbed and carrots look dry.
- Turn heat off and let carrots cool in the pan, to allow residual moisture to evaporate.
- store cooked carrots in refrigerator until ready to serve
- Roast and crush peanuts - you can make this in a larger amount and store it in a glass jar the pantry for up to 2 months.
- Remove turnips and carrots from the refrigerator.
- Continue as directed in the recipe to cook the turnips and carrots with salt:
- Note: Cook for 2 min (instead of 1 min), because the veggies are cold when just taken out from the fridge and will need a bit more time to warm up before getting lightly cooked.
- Continue as per recipe directions.
Storing Leftovers:
Try to make just enough that you don't even have any leftovers! Obviously, that is near impossible, so if you do have some leftovers...- Know that this slaw becomes a bit limp after a few hours, so it will lose its tender-crisp texture when stored longer. However, it still tastes pretty good for up to 2 days: the sooner you use it up, the better.
- Store in a lidded ceramic/glass container. I do not recommend storing in plastic containers.
- Consume within 1-2 days.
Nutrition
Calories: 47kcalCarbohydrates: 4gProtein: 2gFat: 3gSaturated Fat: 1gPolyunsaturated Fat: 0.4gMonounsaturated Fat: 1gCholesterol: 3mgSodium: 249mgPotassium: 123mgFiber: 1gSugar: 2gVitamin A: 1631IUVitamin C: 65mgCalcium: 48mgIron: 0.4mg
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