Sweet, tangy, fibrous and bloody delicious, mangoes rule our hearts and offer the only solace to bear the scorching summer temperatures that bake the country. Besides being delicious, mangoes contain fibre, pectin and Vitamin C and help in lowering bad cholesterol.
We all love our mangoes and sweet as they may be, we cook them in wondrous ways to use their tang in spicy dishes, too. Here are our top 5 mango dishes to try this summer.
Refreshing drink: Aam panna
Made from raw mangoes, this refreshing drink is cooling and soothing in hot summers. Super easy to prepare and just as tasty, make this your drink of choice to serve to guests this summer.
You need: 4 raw mangoes, 1 cup of sugar, ¾ tsp of black salt, 1/8 tsp of cardamom powder, 1/8 tsp cumin powder (optional) and water.
Method: Pressure cook the mangoes. Cool, peel and extract the pulp. Boil ½ cup of water, dissolve the sugar, add the cardamom, black salt and cumin powders. Stir well and add the pulp of cooked raw mango. Bring to a boil and cool. This pulp will now serve as “instant mix” for the aam panna. To serve, just add 1/3 glass of pulp, top off with chilled water and ice cubes.
Starter: Fresh mango salsa
Absolutely delicious on chips or served as a salad, this versatile mango salsa is super easy to put-together and delights all at once.
You need: 3 ripe mangoes diced, 1 medium red capsicum diced, ½ cup of red onions diced, 1 green chilli sliced, juice of a large lime, 1/8 tsp of salt and ¼ cup of chopped coriander.
Method: Toss the mangoes, capsicum and onions together. Season with salt. Garnish with lime juice and top off with coriander. Serve fresh.
Main course: Mango pulissery
Called pulissery in Kerala and morkuzhambu in Tamil Nadu, this tangy and mildly spiced buttermilk-based sauce is perfect for sultry mornings.
You need: 2/3 ripe mangoes diced, 2/3 green chillies slit vertically, a pinch of red chilli powder and turmeric, 1.5 cups of beaten yogurt, ½ cup of grated fresh coconut, water and mustard seeds/fenugreek/curry leaves/dried red chilies and coconut oil for tempering.
Method: Mix salt into the yogurt and set aside. Combine mangoes, green and red chillies, turmeric and salt in a sauce pan and bring to a boil. Switch off and add the yogurt, stirring slowly. In another kadai, heat the oil and add the tempering ingredients and finally coconut after switching off the gas. Cool and grind. Mix into the sauce.
Side: Mango chutney
The perfect mango recipe that goes equally well as a thokku or as a side for everything from parathas to dosa, this mango relish recipe is one you absolutely must have in your repertoire. Less pickly, more chutney, this recipe plays on the natural flavours of our beloved fruit to give it its unique taste and texture.
You need: 2-3 ripe mangoes cubed, 2 tsp minced ginger, ½ cup of raisins, 3 red chillies, 10 peppercorns, roasted cumin/fennel/red chilli powder – ½ tsp each, 3 tbsps of jaggery, 1 tsp of black salt, 1 tbsp of lime juice and 1 tsp of oil.
Method: Sauté the cubed mango in oil. Add in the ginger, the spices and the red chillies with salt all at once. Cover and cook till mangoes go mushy. To this, add jiggery, black salt and the raisins and reduce till desired texture is achieved. Turn off and add the splash of lime juice and adjust according to taste. Reserve in an air tight jar and keep up to 2 weeks refrigerated.
Dessert: Mango mousse
As with any fruit, there’s a pick of recipes that can be made with mangoes. From aamras to shrikhand to mango cheesecake, we are spoiled for choice. But do try this super quick mango mousse - refreshing, airy and light to finish a perfect meal with your favourite fruit.
You need: 2 cups of sieved mango pulp, 1 cup of chilled cream, 1/8 tsp cinnamon powder, 1 tbsp gelatine, 2 tbsps lemon juice, ¾ cup of sugar, ½ cup room temperature water, shot glasses to serve in.
Method: Mix the mango pulp, cinnamon powder and ½ cup of sugar in a pan. Keep stirring till warm. Add prepared gelatine onto it and stir till it reaches desired consistency. Remove from heat, stir in lime juice, pour into shot glasses and allow to cool. Beat the cream and the remaining sugar till soft peaks are achieved. Pipe over the mangoes jelly, and top off with fresh cream. Or serve top to down as you like!
All images representative only. Courtesy: Youtube screenshots.