When I first tried these out I used Ajì, which can mean anything in the Latin world of chiles. My ajì was pretty mild so I ended up using a few big pinches. If your powder of choice is hotter—like cayenne or chipotle—start out with a little and add a little more toward the end of cooking.
Makes 4 servings
1 pound carrots (mixing up the colors is nice)
1 tablespoon butter
1 teaspoon agave nectar
Sea salt
Cayenne or other chili powder, whatever type and amount you like
Peel and slice the carrots. How you slice them depends on your carrots. The carrots in the photo above were very thin and ‘young’ so I sliced them a little thicker than I would a regular carrot. If you have typically-sized supermarket carrots, slice them on a slight diagonal about ¼ inch wide.
Put the carrots, butter, agave nectar and a big pinch of salt into a skillet that is wide enough to fit them in (more or less) an even single layer. Start with a big pinch of chile powder—you can always add more later. Pour in enough water to just cover the carrots. Bring the water to a boil then reduce to a simmer. Cook the carrots, shaking the pan every once in a while, until the carrots are tender and there is enough glaze to liberally coat them. If the water is gone before the carrots are tender, just add a little more and keep cooking. When they’re tender, taste and add salt and more chile powder if needed.
(Here’s the recipe for the roasted Brussels sprouts in the above photo)