MANGO MASTANI

The month of May is all about mangoes for a foodie . Gear up for five mouthwatering mango delicacies from different regions of India.

Last year I made Aam Jam and it was quite popular in our community.

.(https://os.me/short-stories/aam-jam-a-sweet-indulgence/ ( read it here )  The tasty Jam  remained intact and retained its full flavor throughout the year. This is proof we always don’t have to buy Jams from stores and also we always don’t require artificial preservatives.  This year I progressed to many more Mango delicacies.  One thing there is an ongoing lockdown and I was forced to make different things with the same carton of Alphonso mangoes.  For the last one month every day, at least one mango item is appearing on my plate in different disguises.  Be it raw mango pickle along with curd rice and papad, or just a sweet mango squeezed into the rice and eaten plainly with a dash of salt or a sip of mango mastani for breakfast.  Having Mango mastani for breakfast can be compared only to waking up and strolling off to a multiplex to watch a movie at 7 am.  Because normally people drink it after lunch on hot noon. Anyhow, all is fair in mango love.   And the effervescent ‘manga pulissery ‘or mango kadhi is not to be forgotten.

5 Recipes to make the best of this mango season.
 

Mango Ice Cream
 

Mango ice cream with fresh mangoes is a winner of hearts.  And this can be easily made with just three ingredients.  Mango ice cream is also an essential ingredient of our popular Mango Mastani. So let us make the ice cream first.

Ingredients

·         2 cups of fresh  cream

·         1 ½ to 2 cups powdered sugar

·         3 cups fresh mango pulp ( take sweet mangoes without fiber like the Alphonso)

Directions

Use an electric beater and beat the cream and sugar till soft mounds appear. ( This takes almost 8 to 10 minutes). Add the mango pulp. Blend it softly into the cream mixture. Now the ice cream mixture is ready. (No need to add colours as mango itself renders its natural yellow colour ). Keep it in the freezer for 6 to 8 hours.

Delicious natural mango ice cream is ready.  Take an ice cream break along with your kids. You can also think of making other natural ice creams also using the same method.

Mango Mastani
 

Mango Mastani is a sweet mango milkshake famous in Pune. The name Mastani must be sounding familiar to the ears right? Yes, remember The BajiRao Mastani movie. The movie is based on the historical story of Mastani the second wife of  The great Maratha Peshwa Baji Rao.   There are many mastani drinks in Pune made from seasonal fruits with  Mango Mastani topping the chart.

Let us chill out with a glass of  mango mastani this summer . 

Ingredients

·         4  ripe Alphonso mangoes

·         1 cup fresh cream

·         1/ 2 cup sugar

·         2 glasses of chilled milk

Directions

Blend the mango pulp, cream, milk and sugar in a blender.   Refrigerate. Just before serving top the drink with a scoop of ice cream and garnish with finely chopped dry fruits like almonds or pistachios.

Mango Phirni

Phirni is a classic Indian sweet dish made with rice, milk, and sugar. This dish is popular in Punjab, Delhi, Uttar Pradesh and Western regions of India. 

Hail the mango lovers !!! Mango Phirni is a twist in the tale of traditional Phirnis.

Ingredients
 

·         4 tsp rice

·         1-liter full-fat milk

·         2 sweet mangoes ( preferably Alphonso)

·         3 to 4 tsp sugar

·         2 to 3 tsp ghee

·         2 tsp cardamom powder

Directions
 

Soak 4 teaspoons of long grain rice ( any good quality rice ) overnight or at least 6 hours. Wash, drain and make a paste in mixie by adding very little water.  Boil the milk with one glass of water in a thick pan. Add the rice paste. Bring the flame to low and do slow cooking with constant stirring. Once the milk is reduced and thick add sugar.  Now the ghee can be added. Keep on stirring till the rice is well cooked and the mixture becomes soft. Add mango pulp, simmer and mix well for another five minutes.  Add the cardamom powder.  Garnish with finely chopped dry fruits and a few strands of saffron. Serve chilled.

Mango Pickle
 

I know now you are longing for something spicy after all that sweet treats.

Count on this fresh mango pickle from my heirloom arsenal of recipes.

Ingredients
• 2 medium-sized raw mangoes

 • 1½ tsp turmeric powder

• 3½ tsp red chilli powder

 • ¼ tsp fenugreek powder

 • ¼ tsp hing (asafoetida)

• Salt

• Mustard seeds

• Sesame oil

Directions
 

 Clean and cut the mangoes into small thin pieces. Add the turmeric powder and salt and keep them aside for an hour. ( I keep it overnight mostly ) . Heat 3 to 4 tsp oil in a kadai and add mustard seeds. Let them splutter. Switch off the flame. Add chilli powder, hing, and fenugreek powder. Add a few sprigs of curry leaves. Add mango slices. Mix well. Check for salt. Store in airtight glass jars.

If you want to store it for more than a week add 2 to 3 teaspoons of vinegar before storing.

Mango  Pulissery

This is yet another traditional Mango Curry of Kerala and one of my favorites.  The very mention of ”manga pulissery ” feels like a sweet hug from granny to any Malayali.   As soon as I get the first batch of sweet mangoes of the season, the first thing I make is Pulissery. The longing is too much for this subtly sweet and sour curry which blends well with most of the side dishes, be it the Thoran, Poriyal, Papad, and Pickle combo or the undeniable Pulissery and fish fry or meen pattichathu combination.  Mango Pulissery can be a mouthwatering sour dish when it is made with raw mangoes. There are some other variations too. Here I am giving the recipe of sweet mango pulissery. The recipe is right out of my book The Taste Of Classic Coconut Cusine.

Ingredients
 

• 5-6 small and sweet mangoes

 • 3 green chillies (Big green chillies called chilli pepper are preferred)

• 1 small piece of ginger

• 1 small piece of jaggery

 • 3 cups of grated coconut

• 1 tsp cumin seeds

• 1 tsp turmeric powder

 • ¼ tsp Kashmiri chilli powder

• 500 gm thick curd or yoghurt

• Salt to taste

For seasoning:

• 3-4 dry red chillies

 • 1 tsp fenugreek seeds

• ½ tsp mustard seeds

• Curry leaves

Directions
 

Boil the mangoes in a “kalchatti” (stone pan) on a small flame in two cups of water. Keep the lid on. Add split green chillies, salt, turmeric powder, and jaggery. Add the chilli powder. Once the mangoes are well-cooked, add a very smooth paste of coconut, ginger, and cumin seeds. Stir and blend well. Check the salt and sweetness. Adjust the water consistency as desired. I  prefer a thick consistency. Now, allow the mixture to bubble lightly and add the beaten curd. Simmer for two more minutes and remove from the fire. Do the tempering with coconut oil, mustard seeds, fenugreek seeds, red chillies, and curry leaves. You can see the beautiful red chilli oil floating on top of the curry. The chilli oil has the effect of a tastemaker here. 

Happy Mango Season. Let me also know some other mango dishes from your side too in the comments.   Jai Sri Hari 

Tricks And Tips :

 Replace rice in the Phirni recipe with Quinoa . Take half cup of quinoa soaked in water for twenty minutes . Wash and add to the boiling milk. Your healthy  slim quinoa mango kheer is ready. 🙂