Braised Carrots & Chickpeas with Dill Gremolata

From Big Vegan Flavor by Nisha Vora.

Ingredients

• 2 teaspoons cumin seeds
• 2 teaspoons coriander seeds
• ¼ cup + 2 tablespoons (84 g) extra-virgin olive oil, plus more as needed
• 1½ pounds (680 g) skinny carrots, scrubbed but not peeled
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
• ½ to 1 teaspoon red pepper flakes (use ½ teaspoon for milder heat)
• 10 garlic cloves, smashed
• ⅓ cup (80 ml) dry white wine (optional; or more vegetable broth)
• 1 cup (240 ml) vegetable broth, plus more as needed
• 4 medium shallots, thinly sliced into rings
• 2 (15-ounce/425 g) cans chickpeas, drained and rinsed
• 1 to 1½ cups (190 to 285 g) uncooked or 3 to 4½ cups (425 to 650 g) cooked brown or white rice, or grains of your choice
• ½ to 1 cup (8 to 16 g) fresh dill, chopped (tough stems removed)
• 1 large lemon, zested
• ¼ teaspoon flaky sea salt
• 2 to 3 teaspoons aged balsamic vinegar

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 325°F (165°C).
2. Roughly grind the cumin and coriander seeds in a mortar with a pestle or add to a spice grinder and pulse just once or twice.
3. In a braising pan or a wide Dutch oven, heat 2 tablespoons of the olive oil over medium-high heat. Once shimmering, add the carrots in a single layer (a little overlap is okay) and season with a few pinches of kosher salt. Cook undisturbed for 4 minutes. Turn with tongs, and cook until they are starting to brown in spots, 5 to 7 more minutes.
4. Add the lightly crushed cumin and coriander, pepper flakes, and garlic. Cook until the garlic is golden and the carrots are starting to caramelize, about 3 minutes. If the pan starts to dry out, add a splash of water or a bit more oil.
5. Pour in the wine (or broth if not using wine) and use some elbow grease to deglaze the pot, scraping up the browned bits. Cook until the smell of alcohol cooks off, about 3 minutes. If there are a lot of bits stuck to the pan, pour in some of the broth and deglaze again.
6. Turn off the heat. Add the shallots and chickpeas. Pour in the broth and the remaining ¼ cup (56 g) oil. Season generously with kosher salt (about 1½ teaspoons) and lots of black pepper. Stir to combine. Cover the pan with its lid or tightly cover with foil. Transfer to the oven to braise for 50 minutes, or until the carrots are easily pierced with the tip of a sharp knife. Uncover and let cool for 10 minutes. While the dish braises, cook your rice or grains using your preferred method, or get out your leftover cooked rice or grains.
7. In a small bowl, combine the dill, lemon zest, and flaky salt. Sprinkle over the carrots. Before serving, drizzle with 2 teaspoons balsamic vinegar. Taste, adding more vinegar, flaky salt, and/or black pepper as needed. Serve with cooked rice or grains.