ONE CHEF, ONE RECIPE: Chef Evelyn Yap of Happivore – “Carrots with Chutney & Yogurt”

The Singaporean chef is a strong proponent of “no waste” cooking and empowering small-scale farmers.

The Singaporean chef Evelyn Yap grew up surrounded by a diverse blend of sensory and cultural influences, and her inspirations in the kitchen are truly global: from the famous cooking school Le Cordon Bleu, which she attended, to the Michelin Star restaurants she’s worked in, along with her personal dining experiences in Bangkok, Kuala Lumpur, Los Angeles and beyond.

Chef Evelyn is the founder of Happivore Supper Club, a monthly farm-to-table dining event that spotlights her multi-cultural culinary philosophy. At Happivore by Evelyn Yap, a social enterprise platform she created with her partner, Chef Evelyn seeks to empower local, small-scale farmers and also to promote the concept of “zero waste” cooking.

Today, she will show us how to fully appreciate the simple carrot by approaching it the California way and using every single part. She wants diners to respect ingredients and appreciate the work that went into growing them, and also to reduce food waste.

So we have three C’s: Carrots with carrot-top chutney and curry yogurt

Ingredients

500g baby carrots/carrots (if using large carrots, cut them into smaller pieces so they cook faster)

2 Tbsp coconut oil (enough to coat the vegetables)

1/4 tsp kosher salt

2 tsp curry powder (your favourite brand)

Carrot-top chutney

60g carrot tops/cilantro, coarsely chopped

1 green chilli

20g mint leaves

½ tsp salt

1/2 inch ginger

2 tsp lime juice

½ tsp sugar (to taste)

Curry Yogurt

¼ cup full-fat yogurt

1/2 tsp curry powder (to taste)

Salt (to taste)

1 tsp honey

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 190C and line a baking sheet with baking paper.
2. Add carrots to baking sheet and drizzle with oil and salt; toss well to combine.
3. Cook for 20-30 minutes, until carrots are tender.
4. While waiting, make chutney. Put ingredients into a blender and blend to smooth consistency; then add tablespoon of cold water to help blender keep going. You can chop them finely if you do not have a blender. Once done, keep in refrigerator.
5. For yogurt: mix in honey, curry powder and salt to taste.
6. To assemble: Place yogurt at the base and snuggle the carrots on top. Add the chutney across the carrots on top.
7. Dig in!