Mango Mania – Recipes and more…

Enough about coconuts, cashewnuts, and fish curry rice. Let’s talk about juicy scrumptious mangoes. The mango season in Goa is from March to June. The most popular mango types in here are the Mankurad and Alphonso. The other types enjoyed in this state are Fernandin and Xavier. Locals use Mussarat mangoes to make jam and raw mangoes to make pickle.

Sheryl Gonsalves | NT GoGoaNow

Health benefits of mangoes

–          Boosts immunity

–          May improve eye and skin health

–          May help with weight loss as mangoes can help you feel full faster (should be eaten in moderation)

–          Could help make cholesterol levels normal

–          Reduces the risk of heart disease

–          And more…

Here are some recipes to make good use of this delicious fruit:-

PICKLES/ CHUTNEY

Mango chutney

Ingredients:

4 semi-ripe mangoes

2 tbsp ginger-garlic paste

1 cup of raisins

16 tbsp sugar

4 tsp chilli powder

1 cup vinegar

Salt to taste

………………………..

Method:

Cut the mangoes into cubes and mix with sugar. Keep for 2 hours.

Add the ginger-garlic paste, vinegar, and 1 tsp salt. Sprinkle the chilli powder on the cubes.

Cook on low heat till the mango becomes tender.

Put in the raisins just before switching off the heat.

Bottle it after letting it cool.

…………….

Mango Miscut

Tangy and delightful

Ingredients:

• 10 correl mangoes (washed and cut into square bits and put for pressing with salt the previous day). {Pressing entails keeping the mangoes in a colander with a weight on top and a vessel at the bottom, so that the water from the pressed mangoes collects in the bottom vessel).
• 2 tsp methi
• 6 grams hing/ asafoetida
• 4 tsp mustard seeds
• 1½ tsp black pepper
• 1 tbsp of coarse salt
• 3 tsp sugar
• 1½ tsp turmeric powder
• 100 grams chilli powder (preferably small chillies) (mussoreo red  chillies)

Method:

Boil the water that comes out when the mangoes are pressed. Let it cool and keep aside.

Take salt half of the mustard seeds, methi seeds,  pepper, and dry roast them. (Each of them have to be dry roasted separately). After roasting, mix them all together.

In a vessel, take half cup oil and put in the hing. When the hing is browned, remove it. Then in the same oil mix in the chilli powder and turmeric powder.

Put mango pieces in a vessel and apply the sugar to it along with the oil mixed with chilli powder and turmeric powder.

The other half of the mustard, methi, and pepper should be coarsely ground along with the previously roasted ingredients and also the browned hing. Apply this mixture to the mango pieces.

Heat more oil in the same vessel and let it cool (this oil is to be poured into the mango mixture when bottled in a jar for preservation purpose).

Before putting the pickle in a jar, roast and grind an extra ½ tsp methi seeds and put it in the jar. Then put in half the mango water that you boiled.  Then add the mango pieces.  After this put the oil inside until it covers all the pickle pieces.

The pickle can be eaten after 24 hours.

…….

Stuffed mango pickle

The perfect mouthwatering accompaniment

Ingredients:

• 50 mangoes {Tip: while purchasing the mangoes, prick a mango with a toothpick to ensure that the seed is soft}

These mangoes should be put in a bucket  in layers and the below ingredients should be put for these layers. Lastly, a wooden lid should cover all the mangoes and a heavy weight should be kept evenly on top of it.  After every 3 days stir the mangoes. Keep the mangoes for 10-12 days. Gradually you will notice that water comes out.

• ½ kg salt
• 100 grams small chillies
• 2 grams asafoetida (hing)
• 1 tsp methi seeds
• 2 tsp mustard seeds
• 1 garlic pod (smashed)

Method:

After 12 days take the mangoes out and slit them halfway from the top and discard the seed which is inside. Then stuff the mangoes with the below mentioned stuffing:

Masala:

Roast the following separately:    ¼ kg mustard seeds(rye),  1 tablespoon methi,  Handful of Coarse salt (sea salt).

In a vessel, put one litre of oil and heat it and let it cool.

Take a little oil, and brown two pods of garlic pieces in it.

Take a little of the above oil, add to it 10gms of good quality asofoetida (hing) and when roasted nicely remove it.

Grind the hing along with the roasted mustard and methi.  Grind the salt separately.

Add 2 tablespoons of turmeric (haldi) powder and 300gms of chilli powder of two types.  Mix all this with the water of the mango and grind to a paste.  Fill this paste inside the mangoes.

In a jar put the stuffed mangoes, the browned garlic and pour the cooled one litre of oil in it. Make sure that the mangoes are covered in the oil.

………….

GRAVIES

Mango Sasav

A delicious traditional mango gravy

……

Ingredients:

1 half ripe Alphonso mango

½ tsp chilli powder

3 tbsp grated coconut

1 tsp sugarcane jaggery

1 green chilli

½ tsp turmeric powder

1 tsp mustard seeds

1 tsp curry leaves

…..

Method:

Put salt on mango pieces and let it marinate

Grind the chilli powder, coconut, jaggery, green chilli, and turmeric powder, to a paste.

Heat some oil in a pan and put in the mustard seeds and curry leaves. Then add the mangoes, ground paste, and a little water. Cook till ready.

…..

Mango sweet and sour gravy

The best of mango flavours in one dish

…..

Ingredients:

1 cup raw mango pulp

1 cup ripe mango pulp

3 tbsp gram flour

1 cup buttermilk

A pinch of hing (asafoetida)

1/4 tsp fenugreek seeds

2 green chillies (slit)

1/2 tsp mustard seeds

Salt to taste

1 tbsp oil

6 curry leaves (chopped)

1/2 cup boondi

……

Method:

Mix all the mango pulp, gram flour and salt. Add buttermilk and mix.

Heat oil in a pan. Put in the hing, mustard, and fenugreek. Saute.

Add curry leaves and green chillies. Saute for 2 minutes. Then put in the mango mixture. Bring it to a boil and add a bit of water if needed.

Let it simmer on low heat for 10-15 minutes.

Add boondi and simmer for 5 minutes.

……

Green mango in coconut curry 

Green mangoes have numerous health benefits.

……

Ingredients:

1/4 kg green mango (thick slices)

3 tbsp grated coconut

2 green chillies (chopped)

1 tsp sugar

1 cup coconut milk

1/4 tsp turmeric powder

Salt to taste

……

Method:

Don’t peel the mangoes. Only wash them.

Fry the mango till golden brown.

Lower the heat and fry the coconut with the mango for 2 minutes.

Add 1 cup water and bring to a boil.

Put in the salt, turmeric, and green chillies. Add coconut milk after a minute.

After the gravy thickens a bit, switch off the heat.

……

Amlechi Uddamethi

This dish is a Goan curry using raw mangoes along with urad dal and fenugreek seeds.

…

Ingredients:

1-2 raw mangoes (peeled and cut into pieces)

½ tsp fenugreek seeds

1 tsp urad dal (black gram dal)

1 tsp mustard seeds

A pinch of asafoetida (hing)

1 cup grated coconut

3 dry red chillies

1 tsp turmeric powder

1 marble-sized ball of tamarind

6 black peppercorns

2 tbsp jaggery (grated)

Salt to taste

……

Method:

Grind the coconut, asafoetida, chillies, tamarind, and peppercorns with a bit of water.

Heat oil in a pan and put in the mustard seeds. After they splutter, put in the fenugreek seeds, urad dal, and asafoetida.

Then add the mango with a little water. After the pieces are cooked, add jaggery, ground masala, and salt. Cover and let simmer for about 10 minutes.

…..

OTHERS

Mango Jam

Nothing beats a good homemade jam

…..

Ingredients:

12 mangoes

1 cup sugar

A handful of cinnamon sticks

5-6 cardamoms

1 tsp citric acid

…..

Method:

Extract mango pulp and blend it in a mixer. Strain through a sieve.

The sugar should be half the quantity of the pulp. So if the pulp is 2 cups, then add 1 cup sugar. Add cinnamon and cardamoms.

Boil all the ingredients together. When the mango thickens up add 1 tsp citric acid.

Let it cool and store in a jar.

……

Mango Squash

Ingredients:

1 kg alphonso mango pulp

1½ litre water

1½ kg sugar

¾ tsp potassium meta-bi sulphate

5 tsp citric acid

….

Method:

Heat the sugar, water, and citric acid together. Keep stirring till the sugar dissolves.

Then, put the syrup through a muslin cloth and pour into the mango pulp.

When it comes lukewarm, take a little mixture and mix in the potassium meta-bi sulphate till it dissolves. Add it to the rest of the juice.