Chann
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India is a haven for mango lovers. With a new variety blooming in every nook and cranny, it is hard not to fall in love with this fragrant yellow fruit. From the Dasheris from Lucknow to Neelams from Chennai — Mumbai gets a bite of each of these varieties as the season progresses from summer to monsoon. However, currently, the markets are showing flashes of only four varieties of mangoes :
Pairi - Alphonso - Kesar - Kacchi kairi
We get Chef Ratish Dabre from The Pier and Chef Geoff Simmons from Shangri-La Hotel to put them to good use.
Mango variety: Pairi
Current price: R600-1,000 per dozen
Poached Prawns With Guacamole And Mango Carpaccio
—Chef Geoff Simmons
Ingredients :
For the salad:
- 100 gm prawns (peeled and de-headed)
- 1 bottle of fish stock
- 2 medium Pairi mangoes
- 30 gm mixed salad leaves (iceberg lettuce, arugula, lollo rosso)
- Salt and pepper
- 1 avocado
- 10 gm coriander (finely chopped)
- 30 gm tomato (deseeded and finely chopped)
- 30 gm red onion (finely chopped)
- 30 ml lime juice (freshly squeezed)
- 10 gm red chilli (finely chopped)
- 30 ml olive oil
Method:
- In a pot, heat the fish stock and add prawns to it. Simmer until the prawns look cooked and remove from fire.
- Peel and deseed the avocado and crush it with the help of a fork. Add coriander, tomatoes, red onion and mix well.
- Add a few spoons of olive oil to give it a glossy shine and season it with lime juice, red chilli and salt.
- To make the mango carpaccio, skin and thinly slice the mangoes.
- Arrange them at the centre of a plate and drizzle about 15 ml of olive oil on top.
- Season with salt and pepper and top it with guacamole. In a separate bowl, toss poached prawns with the remaining olive oil and assorted salad leaves.
- Season the salad and serve it in a bowl with the mango carpaccio and guacamole.
Mango variety: Alphonso
Current price: R400-1,500 per dozen
Baked Alphonso Mango Fruit Yogurt
—Chef Ratish Dabre
Ingredients :
- 1 cup fresh cream
- 1 cup condensed milk
- 1 cup yogurt
- 1 cup alphonso mangoes
Method :
- Peel and puree the mangoes into a smooth pulp.
- In a mixing bowl, mix cream with condensed milk and yogurt. Add mango pulp to this and whisk well.
- Transfer the batter into oven-proof ramekins and bake them at 150 degree Celsius for 12-15 minutes.
- Remove the yogurt from the oven, allow it to cool and come down to room temperature.
- Refrigerate for 4-5 hours and garnish with mango cubes and mint before serving.
Mango variety: Kesar
Current price:R200-400 per dozen
Chilled Curried Mango And Crab Soup
—Chef Geoff Simmons
Ingredients :
- 2 Kesar mangoes
- 400 ml coconut milk
- 30 gm onions (minced)
- 1/2 tsp fresh ginger (minced)
- 1/2 tsp turmeric powder
- 1/3 tsp cumin powder
- 1/3 tsp coriander powder
- 60 ml lime juice
- 60 ml olive oil
- 400 gm pickled crab meat
- Coriander for garnish
- 4 small pita breads
- Salt and pepper for taste
Method :
- Skin mangoes and separate flesh from the seed.
- In a saucepan, heat 30 ml of olive oil and sautée the onions, ginger, turmeric, cumin and coriander seed powder. Stir over medium heat until the ingredients begin to brown.
- Add lemon juice followed by coconut milk and stir quickly. Simmer the soup for two minutes and add mango flesh. Cook for a few minutes and get it off the flame. Allow the mixture to come down to room temperature and blitz it in a blender until smooth. Transfer the soup into a jar and chill it in the refrigerator for a few hours.
- Meanwhile, drizzle olive oil on pickled crab meat and season it with salt and pepper. n Pour the soup in a bowl and place a piece of crab meat on top. Garnish with pita bread and coriander.
Mango variety: Kacchi kairi
Current price: R100-200 per kilo
Raw Mango And Roasted Baby Potato Salad With Raw Mango Dressing
—Chef Ratish Dabre
Ingredients :
For salad:
- 1 large kacchi kairi
- 4 baby potatoes (halved)
- 2 red Thai chillies
- 2 green onion sprigs (chopped)
- A handful of cilantro and parsley sprigs
- Salt and pepper for seasoning
For salad dressing:
- 1 large kacchi kairi
- 1 tbsp sugar
- 1 tbsp lime juice
- 1 tbsp salad oil
- 1/2 tsp cumin powder
- A few sprigs of mint
Method :
- To make salad dressing, boil kacchi kairi until soft.
- Peel the skin and separate the seed from flesh. Blitz this pulp with sugar, lemon juice, salad oil, cumin powder and mint and allow it to cool.
- Meanwhile, peel kacchi kairi for salad and shred it into thin slices.
- In a pan, heat water and boil the potatoes with a pinch of salt for eight minutes. Drain and allow them to cool.
- Marinate these with salt and pepper and bake in the oven for 15 minutes at 150 degree Celsius.
- Transfer them into a salad bowl and add green onion sprigs, cilantro leaves, shredded raw mango and parsley. n Drizzle the dressing on top and toss well. Serve cold.
Mangoes to look forward to
- Dasheri: This fruit hails from Lucknow and is known for its fragrant and thin skin. It has an elongated shape with a yellow-green colour and tastes exceptionally sweet.
- Chaunsa: The word literally means ‘sucker’. This variety is known for its juicy pulp more than the flesh. It originates from the north of India and has an acidic tang.
- Langra: This variety originated somewhere near Benares in Uttar Pradesh and has red-brown spots with a thick green skin.
- Neelam: Neelam comes from Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka and Tamil Nadu. This mango is large in size with an oblong shape and a pointed base. It is mostly sweet with a few sour notes.
- Rajapuri: This mango is known to have lots of flesh and a small seed. It is mostly green with lots of fibrous content inside. A favourite among birds as well!
