Spiced Grated Carrots, Kerala Style

The small side dishes that are arranged around a mound of white rice at the noontime main meal in Kerala are infinitely varied. They fall into a number of categories: wet or dry, with or without grated coconut, mild or chile-hot, sweet or tart. This dish is an oleete, a category of vegetable dish that is stir-fried, then moistened with yogurt as it finishes cooking. Oleetes are moist and soft-textured but have little sauce. This carrot version has a mild heat, as well as a lit