Put the carrots in a shallow saucepan and just cover with water. Add the star anise, butter and 1 tsp salt, then bring to the boil and simmer for 10 mins until the carrots are just cooked. Leave the carrots to cool a bit in the liquor, then remove and pat dry.

Heat the oil in a large frying pan. Roll the carrots in the cumin, patting off any excess.

Carefully fry the carrots until golden brown. Serve straight away, or keep warm in the oven until ready to serve.