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Mango Unchained! Try these recipes with a twist
Skip the dessert! The luscious yellow fruit lends itself well to savouries, too, so tuck in.
In summer, mangoes are the universal favourite – whether it’s a glass of chilled aamras, mango kulfi or pretty soufflés. But the fruit also lends itself beautifully to savoury cooking all around India. Affirms Tarun Sibal, chef, entrepreneur and co-founder of Swwing, Bengaluru. “Mango is indeed a whole mood in summer! It evokes so much nostalgia and takes folks back to childhood. The vast repertoire of Indian cuisine brings multiple uses of mango in each form - dried, raw, ripe or extra ripe. It’s used in salads, curries and lentil preparations from kairi ki dal to achaar, amchur or dried mango powder that gives pani puri a zing. Every household has a unique way of enjoying the fruit.”
Adding a key advantage, Reetu Uday Kugaji, culinary expert and consultant chef, states, “There are hundreds of varieties of mangoes, each having a unique taste and flavour that it imparts to a particular dish. The colour of mango adds vibrancy and its texture is such that it actually blends well with other ingredients. So while it is incorporated in non-vegetarian dishes like Aamras ke kebab, chicken curries and Aam ki boti, it does not dominate or suppress the flavour of other ingredients.”
Khatta, teekha, meetha - here are ways in which mangoes liven up savoury dishes, so take a culinary cue...
Fajeto
Specialty of: Gujarat
Looking to have guests over for a summer luncheon? You must serve them Fajeto, a delicious Gujarati mango kadhi. Says Reetu Uday Kugaji, culinary expert and consultant chef, “Beat the heat with this delicious sweet, spicy and tangy Fajeto. I completely love this unique Gujarati kadhi, it’s a comfort food that soothes the stomach. The dish is prepared with ripe mango puree, curds and Bengal gram flour. It is then tempered with desi ghee and spices and served with rotlis or steamed rice.”
RECIPE
Ingredients:
Ripe mango puree - ½ cup
Whisked curds - 1 cup
Bengal gram flour - 1 tbsp
Ginger paste - 1 tsp
Slit green chillies - 1
Turmeric – ¼ tsp
Red chilli powder – ¼ tsp
Salt - to taste
Water- 2 ½ cups
For the tempering:
Desi ghee - ¾ tbsp
Mustard, cumin seeds and fenugreek seeds - 1 tsp in all
Curry leaves – 1 sprig
Cinnamon stick and cloves - 2
Red chilli powder - 1 tsp
Boriya mirch - 4
Asafoetida - a pinch
Method
Whisk the curd and besan. Add mango puree, water and whisk until smooth. Heat this in a heavy-bottomed, non-stick pan on a slow flame, stirring continuously. Add ginger paste and slit green chillies, simmer. Add spice powders, salt and cook until it thickens. Remove and keep aside. Heat ghee and add tempering ingredients and pour it over the kadhi. Serve it with rotlis or steamed rice.
Aambya cho Khaar
Specialty of: Konkan region
In the coastal villages of Maharashtra’s Konkan region, Kokani Muslim households cherish a seasonal delight known as Aambya cho Khaar during the hot summer months. This sweet-tart side dish accompanies staple meals like dal-rice or mutton curry-rice, offering a refreshing contrast to the palate. Saher Khanzada, popularly known as The Bombay Glutton, highlights the cultural significance of this traditional recipe. She explains, “In the scorching summer heat, Kokani Muslim families relish Aambya cho Khaar, a delightful dish made from raw alphonso mangoes. While villages slow-roast mangoes over embers, urban kitchens opt for quicker pressure-cooking methods.” This process involves tenderizing the mangoes, blending them with jaggery for a pulpy texture, and chilling the mixture before serving. Additionally, a whole green chilli is crushed into the pulp upon serving, further enhancing its flavours.
RECIPE
Ingredients
Medium-sized whole raw alphonso mangoes - 2
Water - 3 cups
Grated jaggery - ⅔ cup
Green chilli, whole – 1
Salt to taste
Method
Pressure-cook the whole raw mangoes with water for 10-15 minutes (without the whistle). Remove and collect the remaining water in a separate bowl. Dissolve grated jaggery in hot water. Peel and mash the boiled mangoes in the jaggery water until it’s smooth. Discard cores after removing the pulp. Add salt. Cool or refrigerate. Crush the green chilli into the khaar just before serving it with mutton curry-rice or dal-rice.
Mango Prawn curry
Specialty of: Kerala
A trip down South is sure to regale your taste buds with the Prawn mango curry (chemmeen manga curry). Says Chef Matteo Fracalossi, Executive Chef, Andaz Delhi, “Prawns feature in a big way in the coastal regions of India and in this dish, which is so popular in Kerala, mangoes make for the flavour enhancer. You simply heat oil in a pan and add mustard seeds, curry leaves, chopped garlic, chopped onion, chopped tomatoes, prawns and raw mango. Cook on a slow flame and add the seasoning. Add coconut milk powder mixed in water and garnish it with mustard seeds, whole red chilli, and curry leaves. Serve this with rice or red rice.”
RECIPE
Ingredients
Prawns - 180 gms
Coconut milk powder - 15 gms
Mustard seeds - 10 gms
Garlic, chopped - 5 gms
Curry leaves - 5 gms
Onions, chopped - 15 gms
Red chilli powder - 5 gms
Tomatoes, chopped - 10 gms
Methi seeds - 10 gms
Lemon - 10 gms
Turmeric powder - 3 gms
Red chillies, whole – 2-3
Raw mango cubes - 50 gms
Salt – To taste
Method
Heat oil in a pan and add mustard seeds, curry leaves, chopped garlic, chopped onion, chopped tomatoes, and prawns. Cook on a slow flame and add seasoning. Add coconut milk powder mixed in water. Garnish with mustard seeds, whole red chilli, and curry leaves. Serve with rice or red rice.
Qeema Kairi
Specialty of: Lucknow
Tracing traditional flavours in Lucknow, here is another must-try with mango. Sheeba Iqbal, founder of Aab-O-Dana, Lucknow, says, “The months of April and May are when we get raw mangoes in Uttar Pradesh. Achaars are made of them so is gudamba, a favourite sweet dish during summers made with jaggery and raw mangoes and semolina. My favourite amongst all the dishes is ‘Achraj’ a savoury dish made with qeema and raw mangoes. It’s prepared in the keema style by cooking onion, mince and spices and then the kairi pieces are added with garam masala and nigella seeds. It’s best served with hot naan.”
RECIPE
Ingredients
Mince – ½ kg
Onions – 2
Kairi – 2
Ginger - 1 tsp
Garlic - 1 tsp
Salt to taste
Crushed red chilli - 1 tsp
Red chilli powder - 1 tsp
Turmeric – ½ tsp
Coriander - 1 tsp
Garam masala - 1 tsp
Nigella seeds – ½ tsp
Coriander leaves as required
Green chillies - 4-6
Method
Heat oil, add some sliced onion, mince, ginger, garlic, salt, red chilli powder, crushed red chilli, turmeric and coriander and cook. Once the water of the mince dries, roast it. Add kairi pieces, more of the sliced onion, garam masala and nigella seeds, mix and simmer on low flame. Add coriander leaves and green chillies. Serve with hot naan.
Kingfish with mango
Specialty of: Malabar coast
Love your fish fry? Now give that the perfect zing of mango! Says Tarun Sibal, “In the hot summer, people tend to look for quicker cooking. I’ve done this flavourful dish where you first make a marinade by lightly toasting black peppercorns, coriander and cumin and grinding it to a powder. Blend it with turmeric, ginger, garlic, curry leaves and grind all of it to a smooth paste. Coast your fish with it, then air fry it. Top it with julienned mango, for a burst of flavour.”
RECIPE
Ingredients
For the marinade
Black peppercorns - 1 tsp
Whole coriander seeds - 1 tsp
Cumin seeds - 1 tsp
Turmeric - 1 tsp
Ginger – 1-inch piece
Fresh garlic - 3 cloves
Curry leaves – 15
Fresh lime juice (of ½ lime) - 1 tbsp
Fresh water fish, cut into half - 4 pieces
Coconut oil - 2 tbsp
Freshly chopped cilantro or mint
Extra lime juice
Method
Lightly toast black peppercorns, coriander and cumin for about three minutes. Grind to a powder. Blend with turmeric, ginger, garlic, curry leaves and grind to a smooth paste. Coat the fish with this and set aside for an hour.
Rub the fish with coconut oil. Place in your air fryer basket and cook at 400 degrees for 5 minutes. Turn and cook for five more minutes. Top with julienned mango.
