Spiced Carrots in Mango Chutney Sauce - Easy

Carrots are very talented.

This is my second contribution to the Improv Challenge, a monthly party hosted by Frugal Antics.  All the participants are required to use two assigned ingredients and come up with an original dish.  This month's ingredients are:  Tah-dah!  Carrots and ginger.

Carrots and ginger compliment each other very nicely ... never a bad word between them (they must be Canadian).  So nicely, in fact, that I have two recipes using these very same items:  Honeyed Carrots and  Sweet and Spicy Carrot Bisque.  But, according to the rules of the Improv Challenge, I can't recycle either of them (although there's no rule having links to them ... anarchy, anarchy!).

So I had to come up with a new recipe.  Then I remembered that there was a bottle of chutney in the fridge.   Bingo!  I mentioned chutney in an earlier post, but didn't really do into detail as to what it is.  According to that authoritative source, Wise Geek, chutney is a sweet-sour jelly-like condiment made of fruit, sugar, vinegar and sometimes onion.  Mango chutney is the one with which most people are familiar, but other fruits and veggies can be used.  The consistency can be smooth or chunky.  Major Grey, the brand most likely to be found at your local supermarket, also contains raisins and is of the chunky-ish persuasion.

I had a couple bunches of carrots on hand, so I simply sliced them into coins.  If you prefer matchsticks or if baby carrots are on sale, the flavor won't be affected.  For a dairy alternative, substitute butter for the margarine.

This side dish is favor-spicy, not heat-spicy.  It goes very well with chicken. 

Spiced Carrots in Mango Chutney Sauce - Easy
Serves 4-6

1/2 cup orange juice
1 tsp. ground ginger
1 lb. carrots, cleaned and/or scraped
2 Tbl. margarine
1/4 cup mango chutney
1/2 tsp. kosher salt, or to taste

Mix orange juice and ginger together in a 2-quart saucepan.  Slice carrots into thin coins, then add to saucepan, stirring a bit to moisten.  Top with margarine, then place saucepan over medium heat.  Cover and heat until mixture starts to boil, then reduce heat to a bare simmer.  Continue to simmer, covered, for 10 minutes, or until carrots are fork-tender.

Stir in chutney and continue to heat another 2-3 minutes ...

... or until chutney liquifies.  Taste and add salt, if desired.

Happy carrots.

Serve hot or warm.

Disclaimer - because this recipe is part of an online cooking challenge group, the linked recipes below might not be kosher.