Gujarati Carrot Salad

This is a quick and easy salad/side dish. It is almost always served warm, but it can be chilled before serving. Gujarat is one of the states of India and it is located in western India. The state capital city is Gandhinagar, although its best known city is Ahmedabad.

Ingredients:

2 carrots, peeled and grated (medium grate)
2 tablespoons oil
2 teaspoons black mustard seeds * (you can use the more easily available yellow mustard seeds, but try to get the black type)
1 to 2 tablespoons finely chopped jalapeño chili peppers
1 teaspoon freshly grated lemon peel (aka, "rind," see Word History)
1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
1/4 teaspoon ground turmeric **
1/2 teaspoon salt
3/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Heat the oil in a skillet over medium heat. Add the mustard seeds and wait until they begin to pop (a few seconds). Reduce heat to low and add the carrot and chili pepper, then add the turmeric, lemon peel, lemon juice, salt and pepper. Cook for just 2 to 3 minutes, as the carrot and chili pepper should still have some "crunch" to them.

* Black mustard seeds are available in some supermarkets and Asian food shops.

** Turmeric is readily available in the spice section of supermarkets. Turmeric has been touted for its heath benefits, especially its anti-inflammatory benefits, but research continues as to the total validity of turmeric's overall benefit. Many nutritionists note to use turmeric with black pepper to help its absorption rate. Remember too, moderation on herbs and spices, as just because a small amount may be good for you, that doesn't mean a lot is necessarily better, unless of course, you're talking about chocolate cream pie. Damn, I hope nutritionists don't see this!

WORD HISTORY: 
Rind-The origins of this word are unknown, and it could be a West Germanic invention. It goes back to West Germanic "rindo," which meant, "crust, outer surface." This gave Old English (Anglo-Saxon) "rinde," likely pronounced "rind (short 'i')-eh," meaning, "bark of a tree, crust;" thus also, "tough skin of fruit," later also used for "tough outer skin of bacon," and "the hardened surface of some cheeses." The spelling with the ending "e," which was pronounced "eh," lasted for centuries, but gradually "rind" took over. German has "Rinde" (tree bark, outer layer of cheese, outer part of the brain or kidney), Low German Saxon has "Rinn" (tree bark), Dutch has "run" (tree bark).