Gujarati Chundo, Methambo and Katki Kairi My family recipes for your summer Mango Pickling

Summer has begun, the branches of mango trees everywhere are drooping low, pregnant with ripening mangoes. The heat has risen and everything has mellowed and as I give in to summer’s reveries and reminisce., I had my first bite of Mango for this season yesterday. Mango season always conjures up a burst of vivid memories. The succulent flesh of juicy alphonsos cut into petals, that first exquisite bite... sticky mango stained fingers and the fragrance of this voluptuous fruit permeating the nascent heat of summer in my kitchen. 

Mangoes are one of the most favoured ingredients for Pickling in India and every regional cuisine in India has a typical recipe for Achaar or Pickle. In this illustration I have captured the steps. The mangoes are first cut into chunks and mixed with salt and turmeric. They are then dried in the sun before they are pickled with choice spices and oil.

But Mango season for me, brings an annual ritual. Mango pickling. The Mango pickle has been part of every stage of my life. From my earliest memories of eating a piece of Mango Chunda and the kind of epiphany that dawned on my taste buds from the frenzied explosion of sweet, sour, heat and salt. To the musical chatter of the women in my family as they busied themselves with making mango pickles, my paternal grandmother presiding over the work. Lining up the finished works (yes, like art), ceramic or glass jars of mango pickles in myriad hues and flavors in Moti Mummys Kothar. My not so cleverly planned capers to pilfer pickles that always ended disastrously with turmeric stains giving us away. Boarding school years when that jar of pickle alliviated bouts of homesickness. Friendships forged on sessions of bonding over pickle with puckered faces and finger licking. Dating (my husband) our romance accompanied by the discovery of new pickles and flavors made by my future mother in law. Marriage, a new home, an entire frontier of new pickles conjured up by the new women in my life. Motherhood, and watching my son taste his first Heeng ka Achaar and now performing the yearly ritual of pickling mangoes to become part of my children’s memories.

           

I recall some of my favorite mango pickles I grew up eating. My paternal grandmother was Gujarati and known to lay almost 90 types of pickle in her prime! These include classics like Chundo, a hot and sweet grated raw Rajapuri Mango pickle with the consistency of marmalade, thick and chunky with grated slivers of mango. Murrabbo and Davra (a berry pickled in brine) are my other favorites. My maternal grandmother on the other hand was Kutchi and not as prolific with pickling but she had her own version of the Murabbo and her Chundo was the best I had ever tasted.

Mango pickles flavor life’s memories much like they flavor our foods. Bouquets of texture, taste and aromas, they make moments worth savoring. Here are a few of my family's recipes for Gujarati Mango Pickles from the chapter on my Nani in A Pinch of This, A Handful of That. I have also added in the recipe for Katki, an almost instant small batch pickle you can make and eat immediately while the other pickles mature. I will leave you with wishes to have a beautiful summer ... 

Also if you want to check it our here is a recipe for my Ma-In-Laws Heeng Ka Achaar

Chundo

Chundo is a grated Mango pickle that is sun cooked. Sweet and hot in flavour, when made right it has the consistency of marmalade but with lots of grated slivers of mango in it. It spreads easily onto anything and can be used as a relish. The simple ingredients also make it ideal in the hotter summer months.

Makes 3 X 500 g jars; 

Time: 1 hour plus a few days in the sun

Ingredients

3 Rajapuri Mangoes peeled, grated and weighed

Sugar 1.5 times the volume of mango

1 tbsp / 15 g Turmeric

1 tbsp / 15 g Cumin seed

2 tbsp / 30 g Chilli powder

½ c Salt

Method

Peel and grate mangoes, mix with the salt and turmeric and leave for about half an hour. Now with clean hands take handfuls of the grated mango pulp and squeezing gently put the dried pulp into a clean steel vessel. Add  sugar to the squeezed mango and mix well. Tie a piece of muslin over the mouth of the vessel and place in the sun. Now, if you want to do it right and have the patience, then like my Nani leave your Chundo in the sun for a full 21 days. This means that it goes out every morning (after a stir) and comes in every night. You will know your pickle is done when the sugar has melted to a syrup and reaches a 1.5 - 2 string consistency. (to test, take a smidgen of syrup between your thumb and forefinger. When you pull them apart, they should form 1.5 to 2 threads). When done, add the chilli powder. Crush the cumin coarsely and add to pickle. Be careful not to touch a wet spoon to the pickle.

For those of you not wanting to wait for the pickle to cook in the sun there is an easier option, but be warned it will not taste the same. It is almost like the flavour of sunlight is captured in this pickle! Place a heavy bottomed pan on the fire and put mango-sugar mixture in it. Cook till all the water has evaporated, stirring to avoid sticking until it reaches 1.5 to 2 thread consistency. Add chilli powder while still hot.

Variations - this is something I like to do with a small batch - up the chilli quotient and add raisins.

There are a couple of variables you need to watch out for with Chundo.

1. MANGOES - In case your mangoes are not firm i.e. have begun to ripen, they would not do for Chundo. Rajapuri mangoes is what the recipe calls for, these are large mangoes that are used raw, sour and firm. The idea being that the pickle on being done should hold the form of the slivers it has been grated into. Between us ,Nani and I have created a volume based recipe that will work to help you start with smaller quantities the first time.

2. THE SUN - The Sun is the other variable with this recipe. The sun is very hot in India averaging 38-40 degree Celsius. It might not be as strong where you are so vary the amount of days you sun the Chundo accordingly. If it’s really hot where you are then 3-4 days will suffice, but if the intensity is lower the number of days will vary between 4-8 days.

3. CRYSTALLIZATION - If you notice that there is crystallization happening in your Chundo, then the sugar ratio is too high, you need to grate salt and some more mango and add it in. Keeping one mango spare might be a good idea for the duration. If you don't use it in the chutney then refer to the bottom of this recipe for another one you can use it up in!

4. ANTS – Chundo is an Ant Magnet! The muslin cloth is to keep them and other stuff that might get in, out.  If ants are a problem where you live take the extra precaution of placing the whole container of chundo in a basin of water.Don’t let water get into the pickle however. 

Methambo

To fill in the gap while the sun cooks your Chundo, try this. It is also a sort of consolation for those who have a riper mango and can’t do the Chundo. The addition of the spices and the use of jaggery make Methambo ideal in colder climates and it might be worth putting some down to give as presents in the winter or for Christmas.

Time: 2 hours; Makes 3-4 X 500g jars

Ingredients

1 Kg raw Mangoes, peeled and chopped fine

1 Kg Jaggery

3 tbsp /45 g Salt

2 tbsp / 30 g Turmeric powder 

1 tbsp / 30 ml Oil

1 tsp / 5 g Mustard seeds

8-10 /25g Boria chillies (the little round ones) 

2 tbsp / 30 g Coriander seeds

7-8 / 5 g Cloves

7-8 / 5 g Cinnamon sticks

60 g Raisins

40 g Salt

Method

Place mango in a large mixing bowl, apply salt and turmeric and set aside for an hour or so until the juices of the fruit are released. Then strain but do not press. Heat the oil in a large pan and add in the mustard and chillies. When the seeds splutter, add coriander seeds, cloves and cinnamon sticks. Wait for two seconds to allow aromas to develop and then add the mango pieces and the finely cut jaggery, stirring all the time on a slow flame. Cook Methambo until uniformly thick. Add the chilli powder just before you take it off the flame. On cooling the Methambo will thicken further.

Katki Kairi

If you would like to make a quick mango pickle try this one. It also uses up the little bits closer to the stone that can’t be grated. Amazing with hot Parathas!

Ingredients 

2 small raw mangoes

1 tbsp cold pressed mustard oil 

2 tsp crushed yellow mustard seeds

1 tsp crushed fenugreek

1/4 tsp turmeric powder

1/8 tsp Asafeotida

11/2 tsp red chilli (or more if want things spicy)

Salt to taste

Method

Finely chop the mangoes and set aside. 

Heat the mustard oil, allow to cool a little and add the Asafeotida, crushed Mustard, Fenugreek and salt. Mix well and allow to cool completely. 

Add red chilli and stir in thoroughly 

Add the finely chopped mangoes and stir in well

Allow to stand for a while and the pickle is ready to eat It will be good for 3-4 days if refrigerated.

Summer Drinks

A gourmet 'gola' made with Moet at Ziya at the Oberoi.

Temperatures have skyrocketed, summer is definitely here and those winter cravings for steaming hot soup have been forgotten as on longs for a long cool cool something to cosy up to!  I am writing this as I sip slowly on a glass of Litchi squash made at home by my Ma-in-law from litchis from our own tree.

And the options are endless. India has an amazing variety of traditional drinks, that are appropriate in terms of health, nutrition, ecology, season and of course cost. However we are in danger of losing this diversity with the propensity we are developing toward aerated drinks. Not only do housewives prefer the convenience of the fizzy sugar loaded drinks to serve their guests (SHUDDER!), but our traditional beverages seem to be acquiring a status of old-fashioned and boring. A sad turn of events when we still follow the other traditions of Indian Cuisine which subscribe to the philosophy of a seasonal diet food that give importance to seasonal ingredients —tender tamarind leaves, gongura leaves, kokum and tamarind, lighter masalas and desserts based on cooling fruits like tender coconut and litchis in the summer and in keeping with this general philosophy a cornucopia of specific drinks to combat the vagaries of the summer months.  

Think back and you will surely remember some of the delicious cooling drinks our grandmothers served us. I remember the drinks my grandmother always had waiting for me in the summer, when I came home from school, melon juices; chilled ruby red watermelon full of chunks of the juicy fruit, velvety chilled Sugar melon juice that slid down the throat, milkshakes flavored with fruits or Rooh Afza, tangy Aam 
Panna made of sour green mangoes and in the years when our Coconut tree yielded fruit we would OD on tender coconut water and gorge on the silky flesh and a collection of squashes that would rival any “golawalla’s” lineup of jewel colored bottles; Lemon, Malta Orange, bel (wood-apple), Amla, Jamoon, and even Sandalwood have been trapped into bottles full of savor over the years because of their extremely beneficial effect on the body in hot weather. They maintain the digestive tract, tone up the system and keep it cool.

Much later in life, I discovered the delicious coolers of regional Indian Communities, like the time a friend brought me a bottle of tangy, purple concentrate that made a delicious drink. “It’s Kokum squash” she said. Kokum! Now I have often picked Kokkum out of my dal and discarded it but I never thought it could make a drink! KOKUM is a sour fruit that has no English name, because it is native to India, in fact even in India it is relatively unknown outside the Konkan region and parts of Gujarat - which is surprising, because it makes extremely cooling drink that is popularly served to combat heaty foods in the cuisines of South and West India. Besides Kokum squash it is also used to make Sol Kadhi in which it I soaked in warm water, he resulting liquor of which is mixed with coconut milk and drunk with heaty dishes.
At my first holi after I married, I discovered a savory, punchy drink called Kanji. Kanji is a traditional north Indian drink made from black carrots and mustard powder, a dark ruby almost magenta in color it is sold from huge glass flasks and ‘matkas’ in seaon but it is also made at home the process of making Kanji takes about three weeks. It has an overall cooling effect on the body and refreshes the mind due to the use of mustard. Another traditional drink popular in the north and especially in Punjab and Hryana is ‘Sattoo’ (powdered barley) that is served chilled sweetend with a sugar syrup. It is valued for the cooling effect it has on the body and its ability as a thirst quencher.  

My favourite part of my childhood was being amidst the ladies of the house on one of the squash making days helping with prepping ingredients immersed in the tradition – listening to the stories that accompanied every recipe, the subtleties of preparation that I learnt by watching alone and  that special banter that is only found between women in the kitchen! Start your own traditions, get your children involved, kids love feeling like they are important, they can help peel and prepare fruit and measure out ingredients and the attraction of something they have helped make might even get them to stop consuming all those dangerous aerated drinks. In fact let them go wild making their own ‘mocktails’ using these!

Remember the barricade of colored bottles that are displayed all around the Golavallas carts? Well there is nothing stopping you from rivaling that display! Take time out of your schedule to prepare for the coming hot season, bottle concentrates, sherbets and syrups and put then away while you can, so you can enjoy the freshness of fruit far into the summer when the fruit are long gone. What will you do with so many?  Think Golas doused in a salty sweet sour Kalakhatta or an icy mint Sorbet, just the thought of such treats brings relief to the heat addled brain! Your Syrups and squashes will come in handy to flavour Golas, Sorbets, Ice creams, Ice teas and Slushes right through the Summer.ANd do share your recipes for Squashes and syrups! What was your favourite childhood drink! 

With so much on offer we really have no reason to down sugar filled artificially flavoured aerated waters by the glassful, that do not benefit us in any way. Find new favourites for the coming summer months from recipes carefully nurtured over the centuries and do yourself a favour! No really! Let your imagination go wild! Here are a few favourite recipes to get you started - some inherited from my grandmother and some created by me.

Raw Mango Squash (Time: 30 minutes Makes: 750 ml. concentrate (approx.) Shelflife: 6 months or more)

Inspired by the Aam panna, this squash incorporates the cooling properties of Rock salt, Green mangoes and Cumin

Ingredients

1 c thick peeled raw mango pulp

2 ½ c sugar

1 1/2 c water

½ tsp Cumin powder

2 tbsk Rock salt

1/4 tsp. citric acid

Method

Place sugar and water in a deep vessel and bring to a boil. Simmer till syrup is sticky but not one thread. Add citric acid, stir till dissolved and remove from flame. Cool and add to mango pulp. Add Cumin powder rock salt and stir well. Transfer to sterilised bottles and store in the fridge.  

Spicy Pineapple Squash (time: 20 minutes Makes: 450 - 500 ml. squash Shelflife: 4 - 5 months)

Ingredients

1 c pure fresh pineapple juice

2 c sugar

1 c water

2 tbsp chilli flakes

1 tsp. citric acid (optional)

1/8 tsp. KMS (optional)

Method

Bring sugar and water to boil in a deep vessel. Simmer to make a sticky syrup, which is not one thread. Add dissolved citric acid, take off fire. Cool and add juice, dissolved KMS. Stir till well blended. Pour into sterilised bottles, seal. Refrigerate opened bottle.

Quickly done Infused and Simple Syrups (Yield: 1 1/3 cups.)

Simple syrup is a commonly used ingredient in many cocktails and other drink recipes. It's easy to make and handy to have ready in the summer. You can flavour simple syrup with just about anything, spices, like Cardamom and anise, herbs like lemongrass and mint even orange and lemon peel.

1 c white sugar

1 c water

Method

In a medium saucepan combine sugar and water. Bring to a boil, stirring, until sugar has dissolved. Allow to cool.

MAKE AHEAD The syrup can be refrigerated for up to 3 weeks.

To make Lemongrass Syrup take 10 lemongrass stalks, 6 stalks crushed and finely chopped, 2 stalks halved lengthwise, then crosswise. Prepare the as directed above, adding lemongrass, before bringing it to a boil. Remove from the heat and let steep for 30 minutes. Strain into a bottle and keep refrigerate for upto three weeks.

Mogra Sherbet

Mogra or Jasmine flowers are associated with romance in India. They bloom at night during the hot summer months releasing their heavy fragrance into the humid night air, cooling and perfuming it. This traditional drink traps the magic of the Mogra into a glass and makes an unusual cooling drink.

8 c water
750 g sugar
100 gms fresh mogra blossoms

Dissolve the sugar in the water and boil until you have a syrup of one string consistency. Allow to cool for a while, add the mogra blossoms, cover and leave to steep until syrup is completely cool. Stain, mashing flowers against the strainer as you go and then bottle. To serve mix into chilled water.

Kokum Squash (time: 20 minutes Makes: 500 gms. approx. Shelflife: 6 months or more)

The kokum is native to the western coastal regions of southern India and is rarely seen beyond this area. Even in India it is used only in the regional cuisines of Gujarat Maharashrta and several southern states where large glasses of kokum sherbet are downed during parched summer months. In this region the sweltering heat demands refrigerant (cooling) ingredients in food and drink. Kokum is well known to counteract the heat. The fruits are steeped in sugar syrup to make amrutkokum which is drunk to relieve sunstroke.

Ingredients

1 cup thick juice of kokum

2 cups sugar

3/4 tsp. citric acid

1/4 tsp. sodium benzoate

Method:

Place juice and sugar in a deep vessel and heat, stirring gently until sugar has dissolved. Bring to a boil, simmer for 2-3 minutes remove from flame and cool. Add sodium benzoate and mix well. Pour into sterilized sauce bottles, seal and remember to refrigerate after a bottle is opened.

For a quick drink stir 2 tbsp. juice into 200 ml water with a pinch of salt, plop in a few ice cubes and serve or make a slush. Make a stronger solution of Kokum squash, a pinch of salt, and water pour into a Tupperware glass and freeze.      

Use squashes fto make Golas!

Hygienically Golas are available on the menu at Soam restaurant in Babulnath 

Basic Ice tea

Makes: 1 glass iced tea.

Ingredients:

1 c water

1 ½ tsp. tea leaves

simple sugar syrup or flavoured syrup to taste

1 round slice lemon with peel

Method:

Bring water to boil. Add tea leaves cover and stand for 5-7 minutes. Stir well, strain and cool. Add 4-5 cubes crushed ice and syrup and cooled decoction Garnish with lemon slice and serve chilled. 

Basic Sorbet with any Squash

Ingredients:
4 c fruit

2 tbsp. Fruit juice that compliments syrup you are using

1 cup simple or flavoured syrup

Method:

Run cleaned fruit in a blender with the orange juice, till smooth. Sieve if required and stir in sugar syrup.  Set mixture in lidded container in freezer A (Tupperware glass is great for this) till softly set. Remove from freezer, beat till smooth, but do not allow to melt, return to container, refreeze. Beat again, and return to freezer, till well set. Serve in scoops, garnished with sprigs of mint and slices of fruit.

Mocha Mojo serves their drinks very innovatively in Little jam and Mason jars!

A Slush shot with a bit of vodka can be a great ice breaker!

Play with strawberry and Kiwi or other colors and flavours for vibrant Mixer slushies!

Black Grape squash (time: 20 minutes Makes: 500 gms. approx. Shelflife: 6 months or more)

Ingredients

1 cup thick juice of black grapes

2 cups sugar

3/4 tsp. citric acid

1/4 tsp. sodium benzoate

Method:

Put juice and sugar in a deep vessel. Heat and stir gently till sugar dissolves. Bring to a boil, simmer for 2-3 minutes. Take off fire and cool. Add sodium benzoate and mix well. Pour into sterilized sauce bottles, and seal. Refrigerate after a bottle is opened.

Jamoon Squash (time: 20 minutes, Makes: 500 gms. approx. Shelflife: 6 months or more)

Ingredients

1 cup thick juice of jamoon

2 cups sugar

3/4 tsp. citric acid

1/4 tsp. sodium benzoate

Method

Put juice and sugar in a deep vessel. Heat and stir gently till sugar dissolves. Bring to a boil, simmer for 2-3 minutes. Take off fire and cool. Add sodium benzoate and mix well. Pour into sterilized sauce bottles, and seal. Refrigerate after a bottle is opened.

Rim glasses for Black grape or Jamoon with kala namak!

Shaved ice concoctions; Golas and Snow cones

Rainbows - Try using two to four different colored syrups on your shaved ice to create a unique colorful rainbow effect.  Pour syrups in a straight line, one at a time, starting from one side of your shaved ice cup to the other.  Mixers – Similar to Rainbows but usually made with only 2 or 3 flavors. Combine flavors for a unique treat.  Some of the most popular mixers are listed below:

Milk and Cream Flavors – Give your favorite shaved ice syrup a creamy flavor and texture with the addition of Evaporated Milk.  In a separate container, combine 7 ounces of flavored syrup to 1 ounce of evaporated milk.  Stir well and pour the mix on top of your shaved ice to give it a rich, creamy texture.  Works best if the creamy mix is chilled before use.  This recipe is often used with Vanilla, Banana, Peach, Strawberry, Pina Colada, Coconut and Almond. Test your favorite syrup with evaporated milk!  To make a quart of cream flavor combine 28 ounces of your favorite flavored syrup with 4 ounces of Evaporated Milk.  Once evaporated milk is added be sure to keep the mix refrigerated.  The mixture will usually will last 5 to 7 days.

Snow Shakes – Instead of a milkshake try a snow shake!  Fill a 16 ounce cup full of shaved ice.  Add 3 to 4 ounces of your favorite shaved ice syrup along with 3 to 4 ounces of evaporated milk.  Stir or blend well!  Add more ice for thicker snow shakes.  Snow shakes are a great treat year round!

Dipped Delights – These shaved ice treats are very popular at neighborhood stands across the country.  Simply add a scoop of your favorite ice cream to the bottom of any cup, add shaved ice and top off with your favorite shaved ice syrup.  Eating the shaved ice and ice cream at the same time is great!   Try one and you will be hooked!

Gyan, Links and notes

Preservatives and flavours

To store for longer periods preservatives like Sodium Benzonate or potassium metabisulphite (KMS) are required. They should be used only in specified quantities. Otherwise they will spoil the texture of the drink, and also affect health if used in large quantities. You can leave them out but refrigerate your squashes in that case.

Recipes for Mangoes!

Spicy Prawns with Mango!

Mango milkshake!

I had my first Mango milkshake of the season today, and then with lots of people wanting Mango recipes, i though I would put some here. Most mango lovers maintain that the Alphonso is best enjoyed in its natural state. I used to as well. Untill I covered the Mango festival a few years ago. Honestly, I went under duress but the slew of dishes the press note listed sounded too exotic and although I have always been wary of fusion cooking I also felt that anyone that anyone who showed the temerity to COOK a perfectly ripe, succulent, delicious mango was either brilliant or stupid. One bite of the Baked Bekti with Pan Fried Mango was all it took to convert me. To be specific one bite of that pan fried mango and my reservations about cooking Mango were forever dispelled! It is rare for anything to stun me – and I kid you not – this did. The caramelized mango wedges on my plate were probably in contact with a hot surface for mere seconds but that small application of heat had served to enhance the intrinsic, luscious fragrant sensuousness of this fruit.

I have cooked mangoes in a myriad ways since, and am really looking forward to repeating some of my favourites this year. Try one or all of these this Mango season! Or go wild with a Mango themed meal!

A Mango illustration by me...

Spicy Mango and Honey baked Ham salad

Spicy Prawns and Mango

Spicy Prawns and Mango Rice Paper rolls 
This is one of my favourite variations on the Rice papaer roll. The recipe was shot by Mint Lounge you can watch it by clicking here for video recipe of the making of Spicyu prawn and Rice Paper rolls.  

Makes 10 rolls, time 40 mins

Ingredients

250g Prawns, cleaned and deveined

1 tsp mustard

Salt

½ c mango pulp

2-4 thai Red Chilli, sliced

¼ tsp Lemon juice and zest

1 tsp oil

1 tbsp spring onion

½ tsp chilli oil

1 Pkt Rice paper

Shredded lettuce

Method

Combine lime juice chillies salt and zest mustard and mix add cleaned prawns and toss well. Leave to marinate for 20 mins. Then add mango puree and stir well. Heat oil in a pan add prawn mixture and simmer till prawns are cooked and sauce has dried. To make rolls Dampen rice paper in hot water and lay flat on a smooth surface. Place a little shredded lettuce down one side, top with cooked prawns, drizzle with chilli oil and spring onion. Fold edge of rice paper over the filling, fold sides over and then roll up. Repeat with rest of the rice paper,

Fajeto

Fajeto (Time 45 mins, Serves 4)

Fajeto is a sweet sour dish I grew up eating in my moms gujarati home. Its great with garlicky Chilli potatoes and Paranthas.

2 tbsp chickpea flour

2 tbsp oil

A generous pinch of ground asafetida

½ tsp whole brown mustard seeds

½ tsp whole cumin seeds

2 whole, dried, hot red chillies

⅛ tsp whole fenugreek seeds

15 fresh curry leaves, if available

⅛ tsp turmeric powder

¾ tsp cumin powder

¾ tsp coriander powder

120 ml natural yogurt

700 ml thick mango pulp

1½ tsp salt

½ tsp sugar, or to taste

2 chillies, with small slits cut into them

Place chickpea flour, turmeric, cumin and coriander in a medium bowl. Very slowly add 100ml water, mixing with a wooden spoon as you go. There should be no lumps left. Add the yogurt, mixing well with a whisk. Add mango pulp and an additional 500 ml water. Add salt, sugar and fresh chillies. Mix well. Pour the oil into a thick, medium, pan and place on medium-high heat. When the oil is hot, add the asafeitida followed, in quick succession, by the mustard, cumin seeds, slit chillies, fenugreek seeds and, lastly, curry leaves. Take pan off heat. Stir mango mixture well once more and pour into  pan. Stir. Lower heat to medium and bring to a simmer. Simmer on really low heat for 5 minutes, stirring continuously. Remove pan from heat, cover, and leave for at least 30 minutes so flavours develop. Before serving, stir and reheat gently.

Add caption

Savoury sweet mango and coconut soup - Place the meat from one mango in a blender with 1 green chili, 1 inch piece of ginger and ½ tsp Kitchen King spice powder. Blend and strain into a deep pan. Add 3 c of stock (or 1 stock cube and three c of water) and bring to a boil, reduce to simmer and allow to cook for 5 mins. Stir in a handful of finely chopped fenugreek and coriander leaves and serve garnished with a few shreds of boiled chicken, a dollop of coconut milk and chilli oil.

Chicken or Fish with Mango sauce

Pan fried chicken in Mango sauce with mangoes - Slice off the cheeks (the plump sides) of a 2 ripe mango and put in the fridge to chill. Peel and squeeze juice from the rest of the mango. Place in a bowl and add 1 stock cube crumbled, 1 tsp chilli-ginger-garlic paste, 1 finely chopped green chilli, juice of 1 lemon and salt to taste. Mix to combine well. Take 4 boneless chicken breasts and pound with a rolling pin o flatten so they are of equal thickness all over. Place 2 tsp butter in a pan and add ¼ c each finely chopped onion, capsicum and carrot sauté until soft then add marinated chicken breasts. Brown well on both sides (allow 3-4 minutes on either side). To the marinade left in bowl add 1/4 c red wine and pour mixture into cooking chicken. Stir as gently as possible and turn the chicken a few times for even coating. Simmer for 5-8 minutes until sauce is reduced somewhat. Take of the flame and arrange over a bed of buttery mashed potatoes or steamed rice with steamed vegetables and salad on the side. Now for the best part. Just before you serve, working quickly, heat a clean pan to very hot, swirl in a little peanut oil to coat base and place the reserved cheeks of mango flesh side down on the hot pan for exactly 1 min. What you are aiming for is caramelized surface but just warm interior, so be careful.

Try topping your mango milkshake with prureed pomegranate for flavour and colour!

A Mango Carpacio with a dollop of Mango Chilli icecream!

Mini Mango pizzas (Prep & Cooking: overnight and 20 mins, Makes 16 pieces)

16 bite sized slices sponge cake, sweet whole meal bread, crackers or digestive biscuits (cake slices shd be into 3/4 inch thick) Or 1 large sponge cake

1 c thick hung yoghurt,

½ c honey

2 c Mango or any assorted fresh fruit, sliced thinly (such as strawberries, blueberries, raspberries, kiwi fruit, oranges),

1 c toasted Pistachios sliced

For the hung yoghurt: Line a sieve or small colander with a clean cloth and suspend over a bowl place yogurt in lined sieve, cover and refrigerate for at least 12 hours. Remove from refrigerator, discard liquid and transfer yoghurt to a bowl. Stir in half of the honey, mix well and chill until required.

For the Fruit topping: taste your fruit, if it seems on the sour side, place in a bowl and stir in the rest of the honey. Reserve.

To Assemble: Spread yogurt mixture evenly over sliced cake or whatever you have chosen for your base. Arrange fruit attractively on top. Sprinkle with toasted Pistachio flakes.

You could also drizzle additional honey on top if you like. You could cover with a slice of bread to make into a fruit sandwich for easy packing.

Other Mango ideas! 

Mango-Almond Chutney Makes: 2 c, Prep/Cook Time: 40 minutes

This chutney is good on plain crackers as a divine and delicious appetizer. Take care to use mangoes that are ripe but not overripe and mushy.

2½ c (¼ inch) diced, peeled mangoes

(2 to 3 mangoes)

½ c jumbo raisins

1 tsp grated, peeled, fresh ginger

¼ c sugar

1 tbsp vegetable oil

½ tsp fennel seeds

½ tsp cumin seeds

1 star anise

2 dried red chillies, broken into pieces

¼ c slivered, blanched almonds

1/3 c white vinegar

½ c fresh orange juice or pineapple juice

½ tsp table salt

1. In a bowl, combine the mangoes, raisins, ginger, and sugar. Set aside.

2. In a deep saucepan, heat the vegetable oil.

3. When the oil begins to shimmer, add the fennel and cumin seeds, the curry powder, and chillies. Sauté for about one minute or until the spices begin to sizzle.

4.  Add the mango mixture and almonds and continue to cook for two to three minutes or until the sugar begins to melt.

5. Add the vinegar, fruit juice, and salt. Bring to a gentle boil and simmer on medium heat for twenty to thirty minutes or until the mixture has thickened.

4. Cool, and then transfer to a covered container.

5. Refrigerate until needed.

Orange & Mango Chutney with Onion Seeds Makes: 1½ c, Prep/Cook Time: 45 minutes

The sweetness of Alphonso mango purée is balanced by the Orange’s tartness. This is great to top grilled chicken and even grilled fish or Haloumi Cheese. 

2 tbsp vegetable oil

1 tsp onion seeds

1 tsp fennel seeds

1 c orange, pitted and sliced (with skin)

¾ tsp red chilli powder or red chilli flakes

1 c sugar

1 c Alphonso mango purée

½ c white vinegar

Table salt, to taste

Heat the oil in a deep saucepan. When the oil begins to shimmer, add the onion and fennel seeds.  As soon as they begin to sizzle, add the oranges, chilli powder, sugar, mango purée, and vinegar, and stir well to combine. Cook on medium heat, stirring occasionally for thirty minutes or until the mixture has thickened and the kumquats are soft. Add salt to taste.

Refrigerate in an airtight jar for up to three weeks.

Caramelised Mango and Rocket Salad

A variation of the classic Rocket Salad in honour of the Mango season in Mumbai!

Serves 4, Time 10 mins  

For dressing

1 tsp chilli flakes

3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil

1 tbsp balsamic vinegar

salt

Method: Combine, mix and reserve  

For the Salad

300g rocket leave torn to bite size

2 large mangoes, chilled

For Garnish:

1 tbsp cashew nuts, toasted and chopped

Method: Just before you are ready to serve salad, slice off the cheeks (the plump sides) of the chilled mangoes. Leave rest of the mango to eat later! Heat a clean pan to very hot, swirl in a little oil to coat base and allow tobecome very hot. Now, working quickly, place the reserved cheeks of mango flesh  side down on the hot pan for exactly 1 min. Be careful, the aim is to caramelize the surface of the slice but have the inside just warm. When done place each mango slice on a plate, top with a handful of Rocket and drizzle with dressing. Garnish with toasted cashew nuts and serve at once.  

Variation – Substitute Mangoes with 1 c of strawberries or 8 1/2 inch thick slices of pineapple in season.