Spiced Parsnips

An aromatic way of 'spicing' up parsnips. Perfect for the Christmas season. Hint: If you like your parsnips sweet, try chilling them in your fridge for a few days before use.

Serves	: 4
Preparation Time	: 5 minutes
Cooking Time	: 20 minutes

Ingredients

1 lb/450g parsnips (small, whole ones are better, but large ones sliced length ways will do)
1 inch fresh ginger root, peeled and finely chopped
2 tbsp vegetable oil
1 tbsp sesame oil
1 small onion finely sliced
pinch of salt

Herbs & Spices

2 Chillies Whole
3 Cloves Whole
1 tsp Cumin Seed
2 tsp Mustard Seed Black or 2 tsp Mustard Seed Yellow
1 tsp Coriander Seed
2 tbsp Sesame Seed

Cooking Instructions

Place the parsnips in a large pan of water and add the chillies, ginger, cloves and salt. Bring to the boil then simmer covered for about 15 mins or until the parsnips are just tender. Drain and leave in the pan to keep warm.

Meanwhile. heat the vegetable and sesame oils in a frying pan and fry the onions over a hot heat until brown and crispy. Add the cumin, coriander, mustard and sesame seeds and fry for a further 1 - 2 mins until the seeds start to pop and jump about. Take care not to burn the seeds. The sesame seeds should just be taking on a brown colour.

Put the parsnips in a warm serving dish and spread over the onion-spice mixture. Serve immediately.