Indian-Spiced Carrot and Coconut Salad with Tilapia
By Sara MayerPublished on August 18, 2025
Time
40 minutes, plus 45 minutes salting and resting
Yield
4
Ingredients
Salad
1 pound carrots, peeled and shredded3 tablespoons sugar 1 teaspoon table salt, divided½ onion, chopped fine (optional)1 (15-ounce) can pigeon peas, rinsed2 tablespoons lime juice 2 (5- to 6-ounce) skinless tilapia fillet 1 tablespoon vegetable oil 3 tablespoons dry-roasted peanuts, chopped¼ cup fresh cilantro leaves and tender stems, cut into 1-inch lengths¼ cup shredded fresh coconutSpiced Seasoning Oil
2 tablespoons vegetable oil 4 teaspoons black mustard seeds 1 Thai chile, trimmed and halved lengthwise¼ teaspoon ground turmeric ¼ teaspoon ground asafetida (optional)20 fresh curry leaves (optional)Before You Begin
We prefer to shred fresh coconut on the large holes of a box grater, but you can also use frozen unsweetened, shredded coconut. Look for it, as well as asafetida and curry leaves, at Indian or Asian grocery stores; you might also find them at some well-stocked supermarkets. If you can’t find the asafetida or curry leaves, you can omit. Curry leaves are best used fresh but can be refrigerated for longer storage. Blooming spices progresses very quickly so it’s important to have the ingredients measured out before you start. Mustard seeds jump out of the pan when added to hot oil; covering the pan with a splatter screen or lid can be helpful to keep them contained. If you prefer, you can add ¼ teaspoon of cayenne pepper to the carrot mixture with the lime juice in step 1 in place of the Thai chile used in step 2.
Instructions
- FOR THE SALAD: Toss 1 pound peeled and shredded carrots with 3 tablespoons sugar and ¾ teaspoon table salt in salad spinner and let sit until partially wilted and reduced in volume by one-third, about 15 minutes. Spin carrots until excess liquid is removed, 10 to 20 seconds. Transfer carrots to large bowl and toss with ½ finely chopped onion, if using; 1 rinsed (15-ounce) can pigeon peas; and 2 tablespoons lime juice.
- FOR THE SPICED SEASONING OIL: Heat 2 tablespoons vegetable oil in small saucepan or seasoning wok over medium-high heat until just smoking. (Test temperature of oil by adding 1 mustard seed; mustard seed should sizzle and pop immediately; if it does not, continue to heat oil and repeat testing.) Carefully add 4 teaspoons black mustard seeds, then reduce heat to low. Stir in 1 trimmed and halved Thai chile, ¼ teaspoon ground turmeric, and ¼ teaspoon ground asafetida, if using, and cook until fragrant, about 5 seconds. Off heat, carefully stir in 20 fresh curry leaves, if using, and cook until leaves sizzle and are translucent in spots, 5 to 10 seconds.
- Pour hot oil mixture over carrot mixture, toss to coat, and let sit for at least 15 minutes. (Carrot mixture can be refrigerated for up to 6 hours. Bring to room temperature before serving.)
- Place 2 (5- to 6-ounce) skinless tilapia fillets on cutting board and sprinkle both sides with remaining ¼ teaspoon salt. Let sit at room temperature for 15 minutes. Pat tilapia dry with paper towels. Using seam that runs down middle of fillet as guide, cut each fillet in half lengthwise to create 1 thick half and 1 thin half. Cut each piece in half crosswise to create 4 thick pieces and 4 thin pieces.
- Heat 1 tablespoon vegetable oil in 12-inch nonstick skillet over high heat until just smoking. Add thick pieces of tilapia to skillet and cook, tilting and gently shaking skillet occasionally to distribute oil, until undersides are golden brown, 2 to 3 minutes. Using thin spatula, flip pieces. Add thin pieces of tilapia to skillet with thick pieces and cook until all pieces are golden brown on both sides and register 130 to 135 degrees, 2 to 3 minutes, flipping thin pieces halfway through. Transfer tilapia to plate.
- Transfer carrot mixture to platter; top with tilapia; and sprinkle with 3 tablespoons chopped, dry-roasted peanuts, ¼ cup chopped fresh cilantro leaves and tender stems, and ¼ cup shredded fresh coconut. Serve.
Time
40 minutes, plus 45 minutes salting and restingYield
4Ingredients
Salad
Spiced Seasoning Oil
Ingredients
Salad
Spiced Seasoning Oil
Ingredients
Salad
Spiced Seasoning Oil
Why This Recipe Works
This salad takes cues from gajarachi koshimbir, a dish from the state of Maharashtra in India that combines carrots with coconut, peanuts, cilantro, and a spiced oil. To start, we salted and sugared carrots to heighten their sweetness. We then made a spiced oil using the technique of tadka—meaning tempering or blooming—a method for releasing maximum flavor from spices. This gave us a potent oil heady with the aromas of peppery black mustard seeds, onion-scented asafetida, and musky curry leaves. Crisp, nutty pigeon peas bulked up the salad. For extra protein, we lightly seasoned two tilapia fillets, which made a mild counterpoint for the more intense flavors. Halving each fillet gave us four pieces; we gave the thicker halves a head start in the skillet to ensure that all the fish cooked up tender on the inside and golden brown on the outside.
Before You Begin
We prefer to shred fresh coconut on the large holes of a box grater, but you can also use frozen unsweetened, shredded coconut. Look for it, as well as asafetida and curry leaves, at Indian or Asian grocery stores; you might also find them at some well-stocked supermarkets. If you can’t find the asafetida or curry leaves, you can omit. Curry leaves are best used fresh but can be refrigerated for longer storage. Blooming spices progresses very quickly so it’s important to have the ingredients measured out before you start. Mustard seeds jump out of the pan when added to hot oil; covering the pan with a splatter screen or lid can be helpful to keep them contained. If you prefer, you can add ¼ teaspoon of cayenne pepper to the carrot mixture with the lime juice in step 1 in place of the Thai chile used in step 2.
Instructions
- FOR THE SALAD: Toss 1 pound peeled and shredded carrots with 3 tablespoons sugar and ¾ teaspoon table salt in salad spinner and let sit until partially wilted and reduced in volume by one-third, about 15 minutes. Spin carrots until excess liquid is removed, 10 to 20 seconds. Transfer carrots to large bowl and toss with ½ finely chopped onion, if using; 1 rinsed (15-ounce) can pigeon peas; and 2 tablespoons lime juice.
- FOR THE SPICED SEASONING OIL: Heat 2 tablespoons vegetable oil in small saucepan or seasoning wok over medium-high heat until just smoking. (Test temperature of oil by adding 1 mustard seed; mustard seed should sizzle and pop immediately; if it does not, continue to heat oil and repeat testing.) Carefully add 4 teaspoons black mustard seeds, then reduce heat to low. Stir in 1 trimmed and halved Thai chile, ¼ teaspoon ground turmeric, and ¼ teaspoon ground asafetida, if using, and cook until fragrant, about 5 seconds. Off heat, carefully stir in 20 fresh curry leaves, if using, and cook until leaves sizzle and are translucent in spots, 5 to 10 seconds.
- Pour hot oil mixture over carrot mixture, toss to coat, and let sit for at least 15 minutes. (Carrot mixture can be refrigerated for up to 6 hours. Bring to room temperature before serving.)
- Place 2 (5- to 6-ounce) skinless tilapia fillets on cutting board and sprinkle both sides with remaining ¼ teaspoon salt. Let sit at room temperature for 15 minutes. Pat tilapia dry with paper towels. Using seam that runs down middle of fillet as guide, cut each fillet in half lengthwise to create 1 thick half and 1 thin half. Cut each piece in half crosswise to create 4 thick pieces and 4 thin pieces.
- Heat 1 tablespoon vegetable oil in 12-inch nonstick skillet over high heat until just smoking. Add thick pieces of tilapia to skillet and cook, tilting and gently shaking skillet occasionally to distribute oil, until undersides are golden brown, 2 to 3 minutes. Using thin spatula, flip pieces. Add thin pieces of tilapia to skillet with thick pieces and cook until all pieces are golden brown on both sides and register 130 to 135 degrees, 2 to 3 minutes, flipping thin pieces halfway through. Transfer tilapia to plate.
- Transfer carrot mixture to platter; top with tilapia; and sprinkle with 3 tablespoons chopped, dry-roasted peanuts, ¼ cup chopped fresh cilantro leaves and tender stems, and ¼ cup shredded fresh coconut. Serve.
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