Braised Carrots with Onion and Sour Cream

Cooking method

1. Step 1:

   

   Gather everything the recipe calls for. You'll need three medium carrots, one large onion (or two small ones), sour cream of any fat level, fresh herbs, and spices. How do you pick a good carrot? It should be juicy, firm, sweet, and a bright orange. Pale carrots usually have a big core, coarser flesh, and less sugar — not the best choice for cooking.

2. Step 2:

   

   Peel the onion. To keep the juice out of your eyes, rinse the onion and your knife in cold water. Cut the onion into thin quarter-rings. Rubbing the cutting board with a piece of lemon before slicing keeps it from soaking up the oniony smell.

3. Step 3:

   

   You can use a deep skillet or a saucepan — I used a heavy-bottomed pot. Pour in refined, odorless sunflower oil, set it over medium heat, and let it get good and hot. Here's an easy way to check: lower a wooden spoon into the oil, and if bubbles gather around it, it's ready. Fry the onion for 2 to 3 minutes until translucent, stirring.

4. Step 4:

   

   Add the salt and spices and stir. A vegetable seasoning blend works great here, but read the label first — if it already contains salt, ease up when you season the dish so you don't oversalt. Instead of a blend, you can simply add 1 teaspoon each of red and black ground pepper.

5. Step 5:

   

   How do you prep carrots the right way? Scrub them under running water with a stiff brush to remove dirt. Peel them with a knife, working from the thick end to the narrow tip. Most of the vitamins sit just under the skin, so peel as thinly as you can. Rinse again, then cut into neat batons with a knife or vegetable slicer — or grate on the coarse side of a box grater for an even softer result.

6. Step 6:

   

   Add the cut carrots to the pot and stir them together with the onion. Sauté over medium heat for a few seconds.

7. Step 7:

   

   Turn the heat down to low and cover the pot. Braise for about 20 minutes, until the carrots are soft.

8. Step 8:

   

   Stir the sour cream into the vegetables. To keep it from curdling or splitting as it cooks, you can first whisk it with a spoonful of flour in a small bowl, then add it to the pot. You can swap the sour cream for cream of any fat level — just remember the fat percentage affects the calorie count.

9. Step 9:

   

   Cover and braise for about 20 more minutes. No need to stir again — just give the pot a few gentle shakes, holding the lid on. If the vegetables look too dry, pour in a little boiled water.

10. Step 10:

    

    Rinse the fresh dill under running water, pat it dry with paper towels, and chop it finely.

11. Step 11:

    

    Right at the end of cooking, stir the chopped herbs into the pot. Besides dill you can use parsley, and if you like, add 2 to 3 cloves of pressed garlic to the braised carrots.

12. Step 12:

    

    Stir in the dill once more, turn off the heat, and — without lifting the lid — let the dish rest for about 5 minutes.

13. Step 13:

    

    Spoon the braised carrots with onion and sour cream into bowls or small dishes. Serve them hot or cold.