Vegan carrot box step by step

A homemade carrot box is easy to prepare and is the most wonderful Christmas comfort food. I remember that the carrot box was the very first Christmas box that I learned to eat - when lanttu still tasted too bitter and strange in a child's mouth.

And if the lantu box was the easiest recipe in the world, then the carrot box comes as a good second. For this recipe, you need to know how to cook rice and carrots, as well as puree the carrots. That's it!

In this article

• Equipment needed
• Making a carrot box step by step
• Freezing and thawing a box of carrots
• Heating the carrot box when using a foil pan
• Carrot box storage and shelf life
• Recipe

Equipment needed

For this recipe you will need:

• a large pot
• stick blender (or blender or food processor, or some other tool to puree ripe carrots? even a fork will do if you're missing something better)
• 2 x 0.85 liter foil tins? or any other dishes, large or small, may also be porcelain or glass

The advantage of foil pans is that they take up very little space in the fridge and freezer. They also have a shorter baking time than with porcelain dishes.

I think the 0.85 liter pans are perfect for the whole carrot box. It makes about 6 servings, so a small family or couple can get a couple of meals out of it. There is little waste, because the box is heated just the right amount at a time. And possibly the leftovers from the box can be reheated one more time without spoiling it in any way.

The 0.5 liter foil pan is also a good choice and I myself used them when we didn't have children yet. The small bowl was just the right amount for two.

Making a carrot box step by step

Cook the rice porridge in salted water, according to the instructions on the package, until fully cooked. Rice should be cooked in a coated pot so that it does not stick to the bottom of the pot. If you cook in a steel pot, you should cook a slightly larger amount of rice, because some of it sticks to the bottom and goes to waste.

Peel and block carrots. The blocks must remain a fair size, because they will be pureed at the end anyway.

Add enough water to cover the carrots completely. Add salt.

Cook the carrots until fully cooked. The carrot cubes must be so soft that the knife sinks into them like melted butter. This is especially important if you use a fork to puree or your hand blender is not very efficient.

Collect the boiling water! So pour it into another container and wait.

Puree the carrots carefully into as smooth a mass as possible. Then add the cooked rice and all other ingredients. Mix well.

Taste the finished mixture at this point. Is there an appropriate amount of spices? This point can still be added.

Grease the pans and pour the mixture into the pan(s). Smooth the surface with a spoon and finally sprinkle breadcrumbs on top. At this point, you can make decorative patterns on the surface, for example by pressing with a fork.

Bake in a 175-degree oven for about 1.5 hours. If you fry the entire box of carrots in one large pan, the baking time may be longer.

Freezing and thawing a box of carrots

If you are on the move in good time, the carrot boxes can be prepared several weeks in advance to wait in the cold. They can be frozen either ?raw? (not baked) or after baking. I think the end result is the same either way? I've tried both.

Take the frozen carrot boxes to thaw in the fridge the day before. So if you plan to eat them on December 24th, put them in the fridge on the 23rd.

But it's okay if you forget this? I have also sometimes forgotten the boxes in the freezer? You can also fry them frozen. An iced carrot box only takes a little longer to bake.

Heating the carrot box when using a foil pan

So what to do if the boxes have been baked, but they have now been waiting in the fridge since yesterday? You can't even put a foil pan in the microwave.

Do like this: Heat the oven to about 150 degrees and put the foil pan in there to warm up for about 15 minutes. Test the temperature by e.g. tasting a small spoonful in the middle of the pan.

Carrot box storage and shelf life

Since the carrot box contains rice and cooked rice is sensitive to spoilage, you don't leave the carrot box waiting on the table for long periods of time. You should also eat the carrot box within a couple of days, for the same reason.

Tulosta

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