Shredded Carrot Salad with Cumin and Cashews

This recipe transforms ho-hum carrots into a delicious, eye-catching salad. The key is to shred carrots to minimize fibrousness and enhance sweetness; use the large holes on a box grater or a food processor fitted with the medium shredding disk. We add a final layer of flavor to the finished dish with a tarka, made by blooming spices and/or aromatics in hot fat to release their fragrance and flavor, a technique that comes from the Indian kitchen. Cilantro lends herbaceousness, while jalapeños bring a kick of heat. For a milder version, remove the seeds from the chilies.