Steamed carrot shreds are like a carefully painted picture, showing the color and taste of life. In cold winter, it’s like a ray of sunshine, illuminating the warmth and tranquility of home. In the kitchen, the washed radishes are carefully cut into shreds, like the artist’s meticulous attention to detail. A sprinkle of salt is added, like adding a touch of life to the painting. The shredded carrots are placed in a steamer and left to cook until steam escapes from the edge of the lid and filled the entire kitchen. The shredded carrots are brought to the table, steaming hot, like a freshly baked work of art, making people salivate. With the first bite, the shredded carrots are found to be fresh, tender, and crispy, with a rich texture. It’s the taste of life, the taste of home.
Steamed carrot shreds：
| Carrot | 300g |
| Edible oil | 10g |
| Corn flour | 50g |
| Flour | 50g |
| Garlic | 6g |
| Scallion | 6g |
| Salt | 3g |
Step:
1.Before starting to make this dish, we need to prepare some ingredients. Choose a fresh carrot, peel off the skin, and cut it into thin slices first. This step requires that the carrot slices be cut as thin as possible for easier cutting and handling. Next, cut the carrot slices into thin shreds. This step requires some patience and skill to ensure that each shredded carrot is cut uniformly and thinly. The shredded carrots should look like thin, long ribbons, which are very beautiful. Place the shredded carrots in a bowl for later use.
2.Over the shredded carrots, pour an appropriate amount of cooking oil. The purpose of this step is to mix well and ensure that each shredded carrot is evenly coated with edible oil, which will prevent the carrots from exuding too much water during steaming. Next, add 50 grams of cornmeal. Cornmeal is a fine powder obtained by grinding corn. Adding cornmeal will make the steamed shredded carrots smoother. Mix the cornmeal and shredded carrots together until the surface of the carrots is coated with cornmeal. Then, add 50 grams of flour. Flour can make the steamed shredded carrots more chewy and textured. Mix the flour and shredded carrots together until well combined. Use your hands to gently mix and set aside.
3.Now that the ingredients are ready, we can move on to the steaming step. Add an appropriate amount of water to a pot and bring it to a boil. Then, place a steamer basket over the water and line the basket with paper towels. This paper towel will prevent the shredded carrots from directly contacting the steamer basket, preventing them from adhering or burning. Next, spread the mixed shredded carrots evenly over the paper towels. When spreading, make sure each shredded carrot is flattened out on the paper towel so that they can cook evenly during steaming. Then, cover the pot and start steaming. The steaming time will depend on the specific situation, but generally, 5 minutes is sufficient. After 5 minutes, you can uncover the pot and check if the shredded carrots have softened and cooked through. If they have cooked through, we can transfer the steamed shredded carrots to a bowl. Finally, use a pair of chopsticks to fluff up the shredded carrots and set aside. Fluffing up the shredded carrots will help them cool down faster and keep each shred separated and fluffy, which will allow them to absorb seasonings better and taste more delicious in the end.
4.While preparing the ingredients, use 4 garlic cloves and smash each clove with force before mincing them. If you particularly enjoy garlic, you can increase the amount of garlic to suit your taste and enhance the garlic flavor. Additionally, use 4 scallions and cut them into small sections, and place them together with the minced garlic. The addition of scallions will add a fresh aroma to the dish and enhance the flavor.
5.Place the shredded scallions and garlic on top of the steamed carrots, which will create a beautiful color and aroma. Next, start heating up the oil. When the oil temperature reaches 60% heat, it will start to produce a wisp of smoke. This is the time to remove the pan from the heat and quickly pour the hot oil over the scallions and garlic. In an instant, the hot oil will immediately extract the flavor of the scallions and garlic, and the aroma of the oil will make your mouth water. Then, sprinkle a small amount of salt over the carrots to season them. Use a pair of chopsticks to mix well and ensure that each shredded carrot is fully coated with the seasonings.
6.After mixing the shredded carrots and seasonings with a pair of chopsticks, we can start plating the dish. Transfer the mixed shredded carrots to a plate, which will present a beautiful color and aroma. This simple and delicious steamed carrot shreds is now ready to be served. When enjoying this dish, you can taste the freshness of the carrot shreds, the aroma of the green onions and garlic, and the wonderful taste of the seasonings that are extract by the hot oil. With every bite, you can enjoy the refreshing crispiness of the carrots and the fine aroma of the cornmeal, allowing your taste buds to enjoy a wonderful feast.
Tips:
1.Choose fresh carrots and peel them before cutting them into thin shreds.
2.Drizzle the shredded carrots with cooking oil and mix well to prevent excessive water from escaping during steaming.
3.Adding cornflour and flour can make the steamed carrot shreds smoother and more chewy.
Steamed shredded carrots is simple but extraordinary, just like the little pleasures in life that bring people great satisfaction and happiness. In ordinary days, it is not only a delicious dish, but also an attitude towards life. Wash the fresh carrots, cut them into thin shreds, and steam them in a steamer. Waiting for the process, one can almost feel the warmth and tranquility of home, as the steam rising removes the coldness of winter and brings in the spring breeze. Tasting a bite of the steamed shredded carrots, one can enjoy their saltiness, deliciousness, tenderness, and crispness, feeling ultimate satisfaction and happiness. This is the taste of life, and this is the taste of happiness.