Mango chutney made with coconut water ... really?

Mangoes went on sale again. A dollar each. Who can resist? 

Mmmmango chutney

My husband, apparently. 

Upon my cheerful and breezy delivery of one of these juicy, lovingly peeled and sliced orbits, hand poised mid-mango on the way to his mouth, I found myself on the receiving end of Greg's diplomatically declared aversion for the 'marshmallow-like' texture of said ambrosia of the gods. 

What?!

Dude. Seriously. What I could do to make this more appealing (not mentioning the remaining THREE mangoes still ripening on the windowsill)? Mango chutney, he suggested hopefully. 

Ok. You got it. I found a promising recipe from Alton Brown and roughly halved it. Instead of pineapple juice, I did what every modern and enterprising girl would do. Use what's hip and at hand - coconut water! 

There must be a thousand ways to enjoy mango chutney. Try this recipe spooned on top of a Wasa multi-grain crispbread spread first with a thin layer of Neufchatel (reduced fat cream cheese). I know, sounds weird. Don't laugh until you've tried it - you'll be hooked. 

Play with your food!

[what you need] 

• 2 large ripe mangoes, peeled
• 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
• 1 teaspoon chile flakes
• 1 medium red or white onion, finely diced
• 3 Tbsp. minced fresh ginger
• 1/2 cup finely diced red bell pepper
• 4 ounces coconut water 
• About 4 Tbsp. cider vinegar
• 1/4 cup brown sugar
• 1 tablespoon curry powder
• Kosher salt and fresh ground white or black pepper
• 1/4 cup raisins or currants (optional; I prefer the latter)
• 1/4 cup toasted, roughly chopped macadamia or cashew or pistachio nuts (optional)

[what you do]

Cut the mango flesh away from the pit and chop into 1/8 inch pieces. In a saute pan heat the oil and add the chile flakes. Be careful not to burn the chile; just toast to flavor the oil. Add the onions and sweat until soft. Add the ginger and bell pepper and saute for 1 to 2 minutes. Add the mango and cook for 1 more minute.

In a separate bowl, combine the coconut water, vinegar, sugar and curry powder. Add mixture to the pan; stir to combine. Bring the mixture to a bare simmer and reduce for about 30 minutes, stirring frequently. Season with salt and pepper. Add the raisins and the nuts and transfer to another container over an ice bath. 

Let the mixture cool, then transfer to fridge. Allow to sit overnight before serving with poppadoms, any Indian food, or Wasa crisps with Neufchatel cheese topped with this magical condiment. 

NOTE: curry powder should only be a tenant in your spice drawer for 6 months or less. Old curry powder is weak and bitter. Spring for the good stuff!

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