Mango is the national fruit of India, Pakistan and the Philippines, while the mango tree is the national tree of Bangladesh. No wonder the fruit is much loved in these parts of the world and even given the moniker ‘king of fruits’. A variety of dishes can be made from ripe mangoes as well as unripe ones. Here, I will show some delicious and easy mango dishes.
PAN-SEARED SALMON AND MANGO SALSA SERVED WITH COCONUT RICE
INGREDIENTS
#For the mango salsa
2 cups ripe mango, medium diced
¼ cup red onion diced small
¼ cup jalapeno, minced
½ cup red bell pepper, small diced
½ cup coriander leaves, chopped
¼tsp sea salt
¼ cup fresh lime juice (or according to taste)
#For the coconut rice
1 cup jasmine rice ( wash and soak for 15 minutes)
1 cup coconut milk
1½ cup water
1tsp salt
3tbsp sugar (or according to taste)
#For the salmon
Salmon (in India, salmon is difficult to procure. So you can substitute with basa fillet or bhekti fillet)
Sea salt
Black pepper
Garlic powder
Onion powder
Paprika
METHOD
Mix all the ingredients for the salsa and keep aside.
To make the rice, take a pot and put the coconut milk and the water. Mix well.
Add the sugar and salt. Taste and see if the seasoning is according to your liking because you cannot check after adding the rice.
Now add the rice and cook on medium flame till it comes to a boil. Then lower the flame and cover and cook till the moisture is absorbed. If there is a little moisture, let it be. Switch off the flame and let it rest for 10 minutes. Then fluff it with a fork. You have to be careful that the rice does not stick to the bottom of the vessel or get burned. Also, if it gets slightly sticky it does not matter. It takes about 15 minutes to make.
To make the fish, season the salmon with the seasoning mentioned. Rub it nicely all over. You have to make sure that the salmon is dry. There should be no moisture.
In a sauté pan heat some olive oil. Place your fish steak and cook for three minutes on each side. It should get a nice golden brown colour. Do not overcook the salmon and make it very dry.
#For the plating
Put some rice first. Then place the salmon over it. Put some salsa beside the salmon and a little bit over it. It looks so pretty.
MANGO FIRNI
It is believed that firni hailed from ancient Persia or the Middle East and it’s the Mughals who both invented and introduced it to India. The Mughal Empire relished the regal milk-based dish and made it popular. This rich, creamy and aromatic rice pudding in earthen bowls is a Mughal legacy.
INGREDIENTS
2tbsp soaked rice
2 cups thick mango pulp puree
2 cups milk
2tbsp sugar ( or according to taste and also mango sweetness)
Mango pieces for garnishing
METHOD
Grind the soaked rice in a blender and keep aside.
In a blender, make puree of mangoes. Transfer to a bowl.
Heat milk and add ground rice when milk is slightly warm. Let the milk boil with rice and then on medium heat cook stirring all the time.
Turn off the heat when the milk turns a little thick. And let it cool down.
Now add sugar and stir well till sugar melts.
Transfer the mixture to a bowl. Now add the mango puree and mix well. Do not add the puree in warm milk. It should be totally cool.
Pour the firni in individual earthen bowls (soak the the bowls overnight in water).
Place in fridge and enjoy it cold. Garnish with diced mangoes.
MAMBAZHA PULISSERI (KERAKA RIPE MANGO CURRY)
A traditional Kerala-style sweet-and-sour curry prepared with ripe mangoes simmered in coconut-yoghurt sauce. Mambazha Pulisseri is one of the popular Pulisseri recipe from God’s own country, Kerala. Mambazham means mango, and Pulisseri means sour curry.
INGREDIENTS
2 ripe mangoes peeled seeded and chopped into big chunks. If you take the small variety called chuski. you can peel that and use the whole mango. In that case you will about 5-6 of them.
2 green chillies slit into 2
1 cup yoghurt
1 1/4 cups water divided
#To grind
½ cup grated coconut
1tsp cumin seeds
1tsp red chilli powder
½tsp turmeric powder
#For the tempering
2tsp coconut oil
½tsp mustard seeds
2-3 dry red chillies broken into small pieces
1tsp fenugreek seeds
5-10 curry leaves
METHOD
Add 1 cup water, mangoes and slit green chillies into a saucepan or kadai. Cook this mango mix over medium heat until the mangoes are soft and tender. It usually takes about 4 minutes.
Grind the ingredients given under ‘To grind’ by adding 2-3tbsp water and set aside.
Now add the ground paste and salt to the mangoes.
Mix well. Simmer this over medium to low heat for 2-3 minutes. You do not need to bring it to a boil.
Now add the whisked yoghurt and mix well. Cook on low heat. See that the yoghurt does not curdle. Cook for about 2-4 minutes on low heat. It should only simmer.
In a tadka pan, heat the oil and add mustard seeds, fenugreek seeds, red chillies and curry leaves. When it starts spluttering, add it to the gravy.
Serve with hot rice.
MANGO CHEESECAKE
Cheesecake is a much-loved dessert around the world. While many believe it has its origin in New York, it actually dates back much further. Let’s go back 4,000 years to ancient Greece. It was considered as a good source of energy and so was given to the athletes during the ancient Olympic games. Greek brides and grooms were also known to use cheesecake as their wedding cake. The cheesecake can be baked and can also be made without baking. Here my version is a non-baked one. And also I am making it with hung curd instead of the readymade cream cheese.
INGREDIENTS
750g cheesecake
250g mangoes peeled and diced. It tastes best with Alphonso mangoes but you may use what’s available to you.
200g digestive or glucose biscuits
3tbsp melted butter
¾ cup sugar or according to taste
1 cup hung curd
1 cup cream
2tbsp gelatin
5-6tbsp water
Mango slices for garnish
METHOD
Finely grind the biscuits. Remove in a bowl. Then add melted butter and mix well.
Take a collapsible-bottom cake tin and line it evenly with the biscuit mixture. Put in freezer to set.
Puree the mango and sugar together in a blender.
Add the hung curd and cream and blend well to make a smooth mixture. Stir once and blend again. Pour into a bowl.
Now dissolve the gelatin in warm water. Stir vigorously. It only takes a minute.
Now pour the gelatin slowly into the mango mixture, stirring vigorously all the time.
Now pour the mixture over the biscuit base. Put in the fridge for 12 hours minimum.
Gently remove the round part of the cake tin.
Garnish with slices of mango.
MANGO STICKY RICE
This is Thailand’s most favourite dessert. The combination of fresh mango, glutinous rice and coconut milk is a match made in heaven. Thai people usually have it with their hands rather than spoons.
INGREDIENTS
2 ripe mangoes peeled and sliced
Roasted sesame seeds for garnish
#For the sticky rice
2 cups glutinous rice. Available in supermarkets and Amazon
½ cup coconut milk
2½tbsp sugar
½tsp salt
#For the coconut sauce
½ cup coconut milk
4tsp sugar
¼tsp salt
1½tbsp rice flour
METHOD
Place the glutinous rice in a bowl. Cover with plenty of water and set aside to soak overnight.
To cook the sticky rice, fill a wok about one-quarter full of water and bring to a simmer.
Line the base of your steamer pan with a cheesecloth or a light tea towel. Drain the rice and pile it onto the cheesecloth and cover the rice completely with the edges of the cloth. Put the lid on. Place over the steamer and steam for at least 30 minutes or until rice is tender.
In a separate large bowl, whisk the remaining ingredients for the sticky rice — the coconut milk, sugar and salt. Once the rice is cooked, transfer the warm rice immediately into the coconut milk mixture. Stir until well-combined. Cover and rest for at least 1 hour.
For the coconut sauce, combine the coconut milk, sugar, salt and rice flour in a saucepan over medium heat. Cook, stirring for 3-5 minutes until thickened slightly. Do not cook on high flame.
To serve, divide mango slices between 4 serving plates. Serve with sticky rice and coconut sauce. I like to put the sticky rice in a small glass bowl. Press it nicely and overturn onto the serving plate. It will be a small even mound of rice and looks good when served.
Sprinkle roasted sesame seeds and serve.
AAM RAS
Aam Ras is a very popular dish in Gujarat, Maharashtra and even Rajasthan. Gujarati and the Bohra community in Mumbai literally make this dish into a meal. They have it with thin rotis with ghee spread on them or with puris. A very simple yet extremely tasty dish.
INGREDIENTS
4-6 ripe Alphonso mango or any sweet mango of your choice and availability. Soak in water for about 1 hour
Sugar according to taste
½ cup milk (for making a smooth consistency)
Thin rotis or puris
METHOD
There are 2 ways of making Aam Ras. Before the blender came it was made by hands and a wooden whisk. Here I will show a quicker method.
Peel the mangoes and dice it.
Put into a blender jar. Add milk and sugar. Blend till smooth.
Serve chilled with puris or very thin and soft rotis. You can spread a little ghee on the hot rotis.
Note: The Aam Ras should not be too thin. Many like it with a bit of saffron and cardamom flavour. I like it best without any flavouring.
Durri Bhalla is a cookery expert and author of Indian Bohra Cuisine and Inner Truth To Good Health And Weight Loss. You can find her
@durribhallakitchen on Instagram,
@Durribhallakitchen on Facebook and Durri Bhalla on YouTube