Braised Carrots are a perfect side dish. Only 6 ingredients with the carrots having an elegant cut. A favorite shape is carrots rolled cut and then a favorite taste is when they are cooked down to a buttery maple glaze.
Carrots are one of those vegetables that I forget about. My usual go-to’s are broccoli, cauliflower and green beans and I don’t know why I forget about carrots.
Besides having a long shelf life they are sweet and have a wonderful texture. I especially like carrots rolled cut and braised as in this recipe.
My husband gave me a good idea because he also loves carrots. He said to maybe tape the word carrot on the inside of the freezer door where I stock the frozen vegetables.
Now if I go to the freezer to get an idea for dinner the word carrot is looking at me. A great reminder.
Since I always have carrots in the refrigerator ‘Fresh’ drawer then the decision is easier. Now that I have this braised carrot recipe and can keep that little note taped in the freezer my decision is really easy.
How Do You Cut Rolled Carrots and Why
- It’s quite easy. As easy as slicing carrots but the idea is to give the different slice a better chance at being done at the same time. The angled cuts help do this.
- This is a lot of words to explain the process but it’s very easy in execution.
- Try to have all of the carrots about the same size. meaning not just a couple of really skinny carrots and all of the other big fat ones. So, nice big fat ones work great.
- Cut off the end of a carrot at about a 45-degree angle. Do not change the angle of your knife or knife hand. Roll the carrot, only, to the other side and cut again. It is sort of like a triangle. The smaller pieces are more triangular and the larger ones are more os a stretched triangle. See the photo below.
- The whole idea is that when you cut the thinner part of the carrot you cut it at a steeper angle and as the carrot gets bigger you cut at a wider angle. This gives the pieces a better chance at being the same size and cooking more evenly.
- The large carrot looks much larger to the eye. But … if you picked up a small one and moved it around the big piece, matching the tips, you’d visualize more clearly that one large piece is actually very close to three small ones. Angels and all.
- Because of this, the pieces cook more evenly – Carrots Rolled Cut. It’s actually fun to do when you get started and get in the rhythm.
What are Braised Carrots versus Glazed
- Braising is a specific way of cooking. The food is quickly fried in a pan and then the liquid is added and the pot is covered to cook with moist heat.
- This recipe braises the carrots and then the liquid is reduced for a sweet coating.
- Glazed food is food that is pre-cooked and then is coated right before serving with a finished sauce. The finished sauce coats the food with a shiny surface.
Carrots are such a versatile vegetable and vegan braised carrots are a real treat to have on the table. It’s true that they’re a great side but carrots also make a wonderful addition to soups and stews too.
I even have a couple of appetizers on the blog. One is a really delicious finger food called Carrot Bundles with Cashew Maple Spread. You might want to check that out sometime soon!
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What Do You Think?
If you’d like to leave a star rating along with a comment, it would really be appreciated.
And if you take a photo of your beautifully cut carrots I would love to see it. Follow me over on Instagram and tag me on your photo @vegan_in_the_freezer. You could even use my hashtag #VeganInTheFreezer.
Maple Braised Carrots
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons dairy free butter
- 2 pounds carrots, peeled and rolled cut
- 1/2 cup maple syrup
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
- 1/4 fresh thyme for garnish
Instructions
- Melt the dairy free butter in a skillet that has a lid. Add the prepared carrots, syrup, salt and pepper.
- Pour water over the carrots so that they are under water by about half.
- Bring to a boil and cover and lower the heat to a low simmer. Cook 5 minutes.
- Remove the lid, stir and turn the heat up to a high simmer. Cook the water down until the water is almost gone and there is a light syrup on the carrots.
- Sprinkle with fresh thyme and serve.
What a great side dish to place on the Easter table.
Oh I love this cut. I did this once long ago, and I’m so glad to be reminded of it. It makes for a much more interesting dish. The flavors sound super tasty, too!
I’m not usually a fan of cooked carrots, but these are so good! Love the maple in this recipe.
These are a delicious looking side dish that is for sure! I have to make them very soon!
Carrots were never a favorite of mine until I had them glazed. Definitely going to give this a try!