Scrappy Yummy Dip – It’s The Time To Pesto!

Think winter, think carrots and winter delicacies like gaajar ka halwa, carrot soup and more. I like winter carrots with their bright red color, juicy crunchy taste, full of flavor. I’m sure all of you have your favourite gajar ka halwa recipe, so let me not disrupt that space.

The lockdowns of the last 2 years created an ‘all you ever wanted to do, but didn’t know when you’d have the time to do it’ situation. While some enrolled for multiple online classes they abandoned mid-way, others wowed their Instagram feeds with dalgona coffee and baked banana bread recipes. My quest for one-upmanship in the ‘dekho maine kya banaya’ contest, led to many experiments, some scientific, others not. A Frankensteinish experiment with planting carrot tops hoping they’d grow into carrots failed but they grew bushy green tops, which the magical world of the internet said were edible and rich in vitamin C, vitamin K, and potassium. That’s one multi-vitamin tablet less to consume and some more scraps off the garbage pile.

After many permutations and combinations, here’s the Pesto Dip recipe that seemed the easiest to make, with fairly high perception value, thanks to the word ‘Pesto’

While I like the andaaz apna apna school of recipes, here’s a safe preparation method

Ingredients

• 1 small cup carrot top greens (remove the stems)
• 1 small cup medium sized basil leaves  
• 1 clove chopped garlic
• ½ cup unsalted cashews
• ¼ teaspoon sea salt and black pepper or as per your taste
• Olive Oil (approx. ¼ cup)

Preparation

1. Pluck the carrot top leaves from the tough stem. Remove any yellow or unappetizing looking leaves
2. Place all the ingredients (carrot top greens, basil, garlic, cashews, sea salt and pepper) in a food processor and run it till it starts forming a paste
3. Use a spoon or spatula to scrape down the sides and slowly add olive oil and then run the processor again till you get a smooth consistency you’d like
4. Your yummy smooth paste dip is ready.

(You can also replace the basil with spinach, mint and/or coriander)

Transfer it into a glass jar to store or serve in an open bowl. Enjoy it with sourdough bread or carrot sticks. What better way to eat your veggies?   

Have any interesting scrappy veggie recipes? Share them with us and have them featured in upcoming newsletters.