Carrot pachadi is a delicious and refreshing South Indian pachadi made with carrot, yogurt and spices. It is quite popular in Kerala and it is also known as carrot raita or tempered carrot salad. It is a yogurt based raita which is made with grated carrots, curd and tempered in spices.
Carrot pachadi is one of the quick and easy side dish recipes that you can prepare. It is served on the Onam Sadhya meal spread or you can serve with everyday meals like rice, biryani and pulav.
Carrot Pachadi Recipe
If you are in a hurry or if you need any quick side dish for pulav or rice. Then this is the answer. I even loved to have this as it is in a bowl with a spoon. It is a kind of cooling and refreshing at the same time.
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Since there is no coconut in this you can have it as a salad. I made it for lunch today along with Ennai Kathirikai (One of my favourite dish). I will update the recipe of that tomorrow I think. So hope you will enjoy this and let me know if you have any questions. So off you go to the step by step recipe.
About Carrot Pachadi
Pachadi is a popular South Indian recipe made with a wide variety of vegetables and fruits. I love making pachadi and thoran for Onam, because they are easy to make and taste delicious. Pachadi are made with vegetables or fruits and it is mixed with curd, coconut, chilli and tempered with curry leaves, mustard seeds in coconut oil. Pachadi's are usually sweet, sour and spicy and traditionally served as a part of Onam Sadhya.
Carrot pachadi is a simple and tastiest version of pachadi made using grated carrots. It requires minimal ingredients and tastes absolutely delicious. It is a sweet, sour and mildly spiced pachadi served in Onam Sadhya meal or it can also be served along with biryani, pulav and with any variety of rice like tomato rice, mint rice.
How it is made
To prepare this carrot pachadi, grate some carrots using a grater or food processor. Heat oil in a kadai, add grated carrots and cook. Then mix it with curd and followed by tempering mustard seeds, shallots, dry red chilli, curry leaves in coconut oil. This tempering is poured over the carrot curd base.
This carrot pachadi does not have any coconut chilli paste, unlike other pachadi's. It is made with just carrots, curd and a simple tempering of mustard seeds and curry leaves. It is a light and refreshing pachadi perfect for any meal.
Similar Pachadi Recipes
WHY THIS RECIPE WORKS
Versatile : Carrot pachadi recipe is so versatile that you can try with other vegetables like zucchini, beetroot, chow chow, pumpkin and cucumber of your choice.
Why This Recipe is My Fav - Traditionally biryani or pulav are served with onion raita also known as onion thayir pachadi. This carrot pachadi is a great healthy alternative to the regular onion pachadi. Carrot pachadi is a quick and healthy side dish that can be prepared in less than 30 minutes. And it is a great accompaniment for biryani, pulav, tomato rice, mint rice or roti. This carrot pachadi tastes delicious and looks so vibrant because of the natural color of the carrot and it will surely attract the kids.
Simple and easy : Carrot pachadi recipe is a beginner friendly recipe. It is so simple and easy to make with minimal ingredients like carrot, curd, mustard seeds and curry leaves. It hardly takes 15 minutes to cook and it is perfect for busy days when you want to make quick healthy side dishes for lunch.
Ingredients
Carrot : This is the star ingredient of this pachadi recipe. Use fresh and firm carrots for the natural color, sweet and texture. Wash and peel the skin off carrots. While grating use a small or medium hole for fine grating, so that carrots will cook evenly and faster.
Thick yogurt / curd : This is the base of the pachadi / raita. Curds are a good source of probiotics and good for gut health. So it cools the body and helps in digestion after having a heavy meal.
Turmeric powder : Turmeric powder is lightly added for its color.
Salt : Salt balances and enhances the overall flavour of pachadi.
Sugar : Sugar is added to retain the color of carrot and also it balances the sourness of curd.
Tempering : For tempering coconut oil, mustard seeds, cumin seeds, dry red chilli, asafoetida are used. Asafoetida adds a unique aroma and helps in digestion. If you want to make it less spicy, then deseed the dry red chilli before tempering. Traditionally coconut oil is used in Kerala for its aroma and taste. You can also substitute with any other regular cooking oil.
Shallots / Small onion / Chinna ulli : Shallots or Chinna ulli is traditionally used in Kerala. It is finely chopped and added while tempering. It adds a subtle sweetness and enhances the flavour.
Hacks
Grating carrots : Use a food processor or a grater to grate the carrots. Use the small side of the grater for fine grating. The finely grated carrots tend to cook easily and beautifully get mixed with the curd.
Hung curd : Use hung curd or homemade well set thick curd for the best creamy texture. Avoid watery or sour curd as it will make the pachadi too runny and tangy.
Don't overcook : Don't over saute or overcook the carrots as it may turn mushy. It should be cooked till soft with little crunchiness.
Carrot Pachadi (Step by Step Pictures)
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| Take all your ingredients |
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| Grate your carrot |
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| take that in a kadai |
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| add a splash of water |
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| and some turmeric |
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| and some salt |
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| cover and cook for 10 mins |
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| carrot is beautifully cooked |
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| now add curd to the cooled carrot |
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| mix well |
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| make seasoning by crackling mustard and cumin in coconut oil |
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| add a pinch hing to this |
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| and your red chilli |
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| throw in shallot and curry leaves |
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| fry till golden brown |
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| pour the seasoning over the carrot |
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| mix well and enjoy |
Expert Tips
- If you don't want it spicy, then deseed the dry red chilli and add it to tempering.
- Use fresh and thick curd for making pachadi.
- If you like the coconut based pachadi version, then grind some coconut and chilli into a coarse paste, add it to the cooked carrots, mix with curd and temper in coconut oil.
- Use the small or medium hole in the grater for finely grated carrots.
- Whisk the curd well for a smooth and creamy pachadi.
- You can even add grated beetroots, cucumber or finely chopped tomatoes along with carrot to make pachadi.
Storage
You can refrigerate the carrot pachadi for 1 to 3 days. Transfer the pachadi to an airtight container and store it in the fridge. No need to reheat the pachadi. It tastes best when served chilled.
Serving
Serve this cooling and refreshing carrot curd pachadi with biryani, pulav, tomato rice or with roti. Garnish with coriander leaves and give a gentle mix before serving.
FAQ
Q. Can I use greek yogurt instead of curd ?
You can substitute curd with any plain or non flavoured greek yogurt. Green yogurt is also rich in protein. But using greek yogurt totally depends upon your texture, taste and tangy preference.
Q. Can I use store bought curd ?
Yes you can use store bought curd. But make sure it is thick and not too sour. For the best creamy taste and texture, always use homemade thick curd for preparing pachadi.
Q. How long does carrot pachadi last ?
Pachadi always tastes best when served fresh. You can store it in the refrigerator for 1 to 3 days. It may turn too sour when stored for a long time.
Q.Can I substitute or add other vegetables ?
Yes you can add beetroot, cucumber or tomato to make pachadi along with carrot.
Variations
Carrot pachadi with coconut : Carrot pachadi with coconut is an alternate version of carrot pachadi. You can prepare it by tempering the spices in coconut oil, add the grated carrots and cook for a few minutes until it is nice and crunchy. Then prepare a coconut paste by grinding coconut, green chilli and cumin seeds. Add this paste to the cooked carrots and finish it off by mixing with beaten curd. Serve it in the Onam Sadhya meal.
Carrot thoran : Carrot thoran is a dry vegetable side dish and it is traditionally served as a part of Onam meal. It is made with carrot, coconut, chilli and tempered with whole spices in coconut oil.
Carrot chutney : Carrot chutney is a South Indian condiment served with idli, dosai and paniyaram. It is made with carrot, tomato, onion, garlic and channa dal. You can also add some grated coconut or roasted peanuts while grindging for thickness. It is a spicy and mildly sweet chutney.
More Pachadi Recipes
📖 Recipe Card
Carrot Pachadi | Kerala Style Carrot Pachadi Recipe (without coconut)
Equipment
- Cooking pot
Ingredients
- 3 no Carrot peeled & grated
- 1 cup Curd (Yogurt)
- 1 teaspoon Turmeric Powder
- 1 teaspoon Sugar
- Salt to taste
For Tempering
- 1 tablespoon Coconut oil
- 3 no Shallots (Sambar Onion) peeled & chopped finely
- 1 teaspoon Mustard seeds
- ½ teaspoon Cumin seeds
- 1 no Dry Red chilli
- ¼ teaspoon Asafoetida
- 1 sprig Curry leaves
Instructions
- Take a kadai and add in grated carrot. Season with some salt and turmeric powder. Pour in some water. Cover and cook for 10 mins or until the carrot is cooked. Switch off the flame and let it cool down a bit.
- Pour in curd to the cooled carrot mixture and mix well. Add a teaspoon of sugar and mix well. This brings out the natural sweetness of this dish.
- Make tempering by heating oil and crackling some mustard, cumin, hing, dry red chilli, shallots and curry leaves. Cook this till the shallots is golden brown. Pour this seasoning over the pachadi and mix well.
- Serve with rice.
Nutrition
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morri
I have never cooked carrots like this before. My husband always said he didn't like cooked carrots much, so I fried them quickly with some spices, so they were still crunchy at the end. But I really wanted to try this pachadi and it came out so creamy and aromatic from the shallots and curry leaves. I loved every bite and even my husband said that he "could eat carrots cooked like that anytime".
ktsue
My husband just loved this pachadi Aarthi! He ate nearly the whole bowlful and kept talking about it all evening. I will definitely make it again, thank you so much!