Who does not love mango with its silky textile, sweet taste, vivid colour and delightful aroma? Summer is the time to enjoy the best of mangoes in India.
Mangoes remind me of every stage of my life. I think of how my life is marked by memories associated with their sweet smell and their rich taste. It makes me nostalgic when I reminisce about the good old days when I was a kid. For us, mango was not only a luscious or delightful fruit but also an emotion. It’s a memory of when me and my cousins used to enjoy eating mangoes together at the house of our maternal grandparents. .Those were priceless moments when I used to put a pinch of chilli powder over the succulent and fresh ripe mangoes, which I ate during my school vacations.
Mango is a versatile, sumptuous and amazing fruit, packed with great health benefits. The sweet taste of mangoes underlined with a subtle tang makes it a great choice for dessert recipes. Enjoying a perfectly sliced ripe golden mango is the best way to bond and make good memories with family and friends.
Mango Phirni
Phirni is typically a rice pudding flavoured with desiccated coconut, cardamom, saffron, cashews, nuts and dry fruits. The addition of mango and mango puree enhances the sweetness, richness and creamy texture of the phirni.
Quantity: 4 -5 servings
Ingredients
2 ripe Mangoes
1 liter Rich Milk
1/4 cup Rice
1/2 cup Sugar
1/2 cup of freshly grated Coconut
2 tablespoons Pistachios thinly sliced
1/2 teaspoon Cardamom Powder (Elaichi)
Saffron strands
For the garnish: Two tablespoons of chopped pistachio nuts and freshly grated coconut.
Method
Wash and soak the rice for two to three hours.
Drain and keep to dry on a cotton cloth.
Grind the dried rice to make a coarse mixture.
Puree one of the mangoes and cut the other into small cubes or pieces. .
In a heavy bottomed pan add the milk and bring it to a boil.
Once it begins to boil, turn the heat to low and simmer the milk until it reduces to half the original quantity. This process of reducing the milk adds to the richness and creaminess of the phirni.
Once the milk is reduced add the ground rice to the milk.
Once the milk starts thickening, add the sugar, cardamom powder grated coconut and saffron.
You can wait for the phirni to attain the desired texture. Add more milk if the phirni is too thick for your liking .
Keep stirring the phirni till it has a consistency that is almost custardy. .
Turn off the heat and allow the phirni to cool completely.
Once cooled, stir in the pureed mangoes into the phirni and refrigerate for at leastfive hours in small glass bowls or earthen clay bowls.
Add the mango cubes, and then garnish with the sliced pistachios and fresh coconut before serving.
Flan De Mango with Chilli Orange Sauce
Quantity: 5 servings
Flan de Mango is a custard dessert that is rich and smooth. I make it with Chili Orange Sauce that is both sweet and spicy.
Ingredients :
1 cup Mango Puree
1/2 can Condensed Milk
2 tbsp Cornflour
3 Eggs, beaten
1 cup Milk
For the Chilli orange sauce
The juice of two or three oranges
A pinch of Salt
1 table spoon Honey
I/8 tea spoon Chilli Powder
1/4 tea spoon Chili Flakes
1/4 tea spoon Corn flour
To make the sauce:
Dissolve the corn flour with a little water and keep it aside
Boil orange juice, once it starts getting thick add the honey and,salt. Add the corn flour and water mixture.
Add the chili flakes and chilli powder.
The sauce should be runny and suitable for pouring on the flan.
Method to make Flan de Mango
Dissolve the corn flour in 2 tbsp milk, ensuring there are no clumps.
Add the rest of the milk, mango puree, condensed milk and eggs.
Pour the batter into 4 or 6 ramekins or metal molds.
Pre-heat the oven to 170C.( I use Larah Opal glass Borosil bowls for this)
Take a large shallow baking pan and fill it with water till half full.
Put in the oven.
Now place the moulds in the pan with the warm water.
Bake for 35 minutes till the flan is well set.
Let it cool at room temperature
Later, put it in the fridge to cool for 2 or 3 hours.
Once it is set to the desired consistency, release the flan from the sides of the mold with a knife and turn it upside down on a serving plate.
Pour the chili orange sauce on the flan and garnish with mint leaves before serving.
Mango Kesari
Mango Kesari is an Indian sweet made using ghee, cashew nuts ,semolina ,saffron and mango, the king of fruits.
Mango Kesari is an absolutely delicious,mellow and aromatic Indian dessert, which one can enjoy during the mango season.
Quantity: 4- 5 servings
Ingredients:
1 cup Mango purée (I usually use kesar or alphonso for this)
1/2 cup Sugar
1 pinch Saffron
1 teaspoon Green Cardamom powder
3 – 4 tablespoons Ghee
1/2 cup Rava (semolina/durum wheat)
15 Cashews
1 1/2 cups Water
2 tablespoon fresh grated Coconut
A few saffron strands.
Method
Blend the mango purée, cardamom powder, saffron and sugar in a blender till the mixture is smooth, and keep aside.
Heat ghee in a heavy bottom pan and fry cashew nuts till they turn golden brown. Once done take them out and keep aside.
In the same pan add rava and roast on very slow flame till the semolina becomes crisp, aromatic and gets a slightly golden brown hue.
In a saucepan, take 1.5 cups of water and bring it to boil.
Once the rava is roasted, then add the mango puree mixture to it, and mix well.
Later, add the boiling hot water very slowly.
As the Rava absorbs the water, the halwa begins to thicken.
Cover the lid and let it cook for another 2 or 3 minutes.
Once you see the halwa has become thick and got the desired consistency, add more ghee to it and cook till done.
Garnish the halwa with roasted cashew nuts and saffron.
