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Mango magic

From desserts, salads and even curries, the ‘king of fruits’ delights in myriad ways

Reading Time: 6 minutes

 

You have no doubt been making the most of the mango season, and probably have tried a new recipe or two. While I have no doubts whatsoever in my mind that the best way to eat mangoes is fresh, they can be used in a variety of ways – in desserts, drinks, salads, and even in curries and rice when green. Read on for some mango masti.

Mango Mousse

500 gms fresh or canned mango pulp
Castor sugar to taste
3 tsp gelatine
3 tbsp fresh lime or orange juice
300 ml fresh cream
Sliced fresh mango and mango puree for serving.

Process mango pulp to a smooth puree. Add sugar to sweeten. Dissolve gelatine in the lime or orange juice. Mix into mango puree.
Whip cream until thick and fold into mango puree. Pour into soufflé dishes and chill in refrigerator until set.
To serve, turn mousses out onto individual plates, decorate with fresh mango slices and drizzle mango puree over.

Mango Mousse (Dieters’ version)

2 large fresh mangoes, peeled, seeded and flesh cut into cubes
1 packet jelly crystals, mango flavour
200 gms plain yogurt
Sugar if necessary
Fresh fruit such as kiwi, strawberries to decorate.

Set jelly to albumen consistency.
Blend yogurt and mangoes to a smooth puree. Add sugar to sweeten if necessary. Mix with jelly. Set in individual dessert bowls, cover with cling wrap and chill in refrigerator until set.
Serve decorated with sliced fresh fruit.

Mango Cake

180 gms butter, softened
2 cups self-raising flour
170 gms mango pulp
1/3 cup sour cream
4 eggs
1 cup castor sugar
½ cup chopped dried mango (optional).

Beat butter and sugar together with electric mixer until light and fluffy. Add in eggs one at a time, beating until combined between additions. Transfer mixture into a large bowl and add in mango pulp, sour cream, sifted flour and dried mango if using and stir until combined.
Pour mixture into a lightly greased loaf tin. Bake at 180 degrees about 1 ¼ hours or until lightly browned and firm. Stand cake in pan five minutes, and then turn onto wire rack to cool.

Mango and Chicken Salad

Lettuce leaves of choice (preferable cos or iceberg)
1 barbecued chicken, skin removes, flesh cut and thinly sliced
2 medium mangoes, peeled and sliced
½ cup salted roasted cashews
1 Lebanese cucumber, thinly sliced
1 tbsp olive oil
2 tbsp sweet chilli sauce
1 tbsp lime juice
Salt and black pepper to taste.

Tear lettuce leaves into pieces. Mix in a large bowl with chicken, mango, cashews and cucumber. Put oil, chilli sauce and lime juice in a screw-top jar and shake well. Pour dressing over salad and toss gently to combine. Season with salt and pepper and serve with Turkish bread.
For a vegetarian version, try combining mango slices with cooked snow peas, cooked flat beans and tomatoes.
Another dressing variant is to use olive oil, orange rind, orange juice, sugar, mustard, salt and pepper – shake well in a screw-top jar.

Prawns with Green Mango

(This recipe comes from the award-winning book The Food of India by Priya Wickramasinghe and Carol Selva Rajah)

250 gms tiger prawns (shelled and deveined but with tails intact)
1 ½ tsp chilli powder
1 tsp turmeric powder
½ tsp cumin seeds
½ tsp mustard seeds
2 tsp crushed garlic
2 tsp grated ginger
1 red onion, roughly chopped
4 tbsp oil
1 red onion, thinly sliced
1 green mango, finely chopped
Salt to taste.

Put chilli powder, turmeric, cumin, mustard. Garlic, ginger and chopped onion in a blender and form a paste, adding a little water if necessary.
Heat oil in a heavy-bottomed pan and fry the sliced onion. When it browns, add the curry paste and fry until aromatic.
Add the prawns, salt and sufficient water, cover and simmer until prawns start to curl up. Introduce the mango and cook for another minute or two to thicken the curry.

Mango Fish

750 gms fish fillets (choose a thick meaty variety)
1 medium-sized green mango
Red chilli powder to taste
2 sprigs curry leaves
2 inch piece ginger, grated
1 cup fresh grated coconut
1 pinch turmeric
Green chilli to taste, slit vertically
Salt to taste.

For tempering:
1 tsp mustard seeds
1 small red onion, finely chopped
1 sprig curry leaves
1 tsp oil.

Wash, peel and cut raw mango into ½-inch cubes.
Grind coconut and turmeric together into a smooth paste.
Put 1 ½ cups water in a heavy-bottomed pan. Add mango, chilli powder, 2 sprigs of curry leaves, ginger, green chilli and salt, and boil until the raw mango is fully cooked.
Add the fish and allow it to roll boil for 3-4 minutes.
Once the fish is sufficiently cooked add the ground coconut paste and cook on low flame just until it boils and remove from stove.
In another pan, heat oil and add mustard seeds. When they splutter, add curry leaves with finely chopped onions and fry until brown, then pour into the curry. Serve with steamed rice.

Mango Dal

1 green mango
¾ cup urad dal, picked and washed
Green chillies to taste, chopped
4 cloves of garlic, chopped
½ tsp turmeric powder
Pinch asafoetida
1 tbsp oil
1 tsp mustard seeds
1 tsp cumin seeds
1 tsp chana dal
1 sprig curry leaf
Salt and red chilli powder to taste
Fresh coriander leaves for garnish.

Chop mango into small pieces. Add to dal along with sufficient water, salt, turmeric garlic, green chillies and asafoetida and pressure cook till done.
Mash dal to obtain a custard consistency.
To temper, heat oil in a small pan and add cumin and mustard seeds and curry leaves. When it all splutters, add to dal and mix well. Garnish with fresh coriander leaves. Serve with rice or roti.

Mango Rice

1 ½ cups basmati rice
1 ½ cups grated green mango
Salt to taste
2 tsp mustard seeds
Pinch asafoetida powder
Dry red chillies to taste
Green chilli to taste
1/2 tsp turmeric powder
1/2 cup fresh grated coconut
3 tbsp oil
1 tsp urad dal
1 tsp chana dhal
1 sprig curry leaves
4 tbsp peanuts
Finely chopped coriander leaves for garnish.

Cook the rice and set aside to cool.
Grind together 1 tsp mustard seeds, asafoetida, dry red chillies, green chilli, turmeric powder, fresh grated coconut and half the grated mango.
Heat 3 tbsp oil and add urad and chana dals, one dry red chilli and curry leaves. When it all splutters, add the peanuts. When the dals and peanuts turn golden, add the remaining grated mango. Cook for a few minutes on medium heat till the mango is done.
Add ground masala and cook till the raw smell disappears.
Remove from heat and set aside.
Mix the cooked masala with rice. Garnish with the finely chopped coriander leaves.

Mango Burfi

1 cup mango pulp
1 cup fresh grated coconut
1/2 cup full cream milk powder
2 cups castor sugar
3 tbsp ghee
1/2 tsp cardamom powder

Cook mango pulp in a heavy-bottomed pan over a low flame, stirring continuously. Cool.
Add coconut, milk powder and sugar and mix well. Put back on heat and cook, stirring, till it comes to a boil. Then add the ghee and continue cooking till it all comes together in one mass. Take off heat and add the cardamom powder and mix well. Pour into a greased plate and pat down with the back of a spoon to spread evenly. Cut into pieces when cool.

Mango Shrikhand

This recipe comes from regular reader Aparna Dave of Wahroonga NSW.

1 kg yogurt
½ cup mango pulp
400 gms sugar
½ tsp cardamom powder
A few strands saffron, dissolved in 1 tbsp milk
Almonds and pistachios, crushed, for garnish.

Tie yogurt in a clean muslin cloth and let drain overnight. Next morning, discard whey and remove yogurt into a bowl. Add sugar and mix. Set aside for half an hour to allow sugar to dissolve. Then blend it all with an electric hand-held mixer. Mix in cardamom powder, saffron, mango pulp and half the crushed nuts. Pour into a serving bowl and decorate with left over nuts.

Mango Salsa

1 small red chilli, finely chopped
¼ cup freshly squeezed lime juice
2 tbsp palm or brown sugar
Salt and ground black pepper to taste
1 large mango, peeled and diced
2 large Lebanese cucumbers, chopped
1 large tomato, diced
1 medium red onion, finely chopped
2/3-cup coriander leaves.

Combine chilli, lime juice and sugar in a large bowl. Whisk until sugar has dissolved. Add mango, cucumber, tomato, onion and coriander leaves to chilli mixture and gently toss to combine. Season with salt and pepper.

Mango, Tomato and Basil on Toast

2 large mangoes
3 medium tomatoes
2 tbsp basil leaves, roughly torn
Black pepper
2 tbsp olive oil
1 tbsp grated ginger
Thickly sliced bread such as ciabatta.

Dice mangoes and tomatoes. Combine with basil and pepper.
Combine olive oil and ginger in a small bowl. Lightly brush both sides of sliced bread with ginger and oil. Heat under grill for 1-2 minutes both sides or until lightly golden.
Spoon mango-tomato mixture onto the grilled bread and serve immediately.

Rajni Anand Luthra
Rajni Anand Luthra
Rajni is the Editor of Indian Link.

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