A Celebration of Mangoes - Green mangoes

Photo by Shraddha Kulkarni on Unsplash

According to Narayana Health, raw mangoes are rich in antioxidants, including lutein and zeaxanthin, which improve vision and eye health. Polyphenols (a group of powerful antioxidants) present in raw mangoes reduce inflammation and decrease cancer risk. Green/raw mangoes are rich in nutrients that promote collagen synthesis and improve skin health. To read more benefits of raw mangoes, click here. I'm gonna eat more green mangoes from now on. 

Have you eaten raw mango before? It has a tangy and bitter taste. My mom loves cooking with green mangoes. She buys them from the Indian grocer close to festival time. At times, if the green mango is already starting to ripen, she chops it up and serves it with chaat masala. The slightly sweet mango goes well with the tangy and spicy masala powder. If you do not have chaat masala, you can also mix salt and chili powder together and try it. Let us know what you think. 

Below are some recipes for you to try:

1) Spinach and Mango Dal - in South India, pappu/dal/cooked lentils are very important in our diet. We usually cook dal/pappu with vegetables like dosakaya (yellow cucumber), spinach, Gongura, and green mango. It is healthy and great with rice.  

2) Green Mango Chutney - we love our fresh relishes or chutneys. We enjoy eating it with warm white rice. 

Tangy Green Mango Chutney

3) Mango Pulihora - this rice dish is typically made for festivals. It's a family favorite. 

Green mangoes are also sought after when it is summertime in South India.  Families buy 'sour' mangoes, get together, and make mango pickles at home. I remember this fondly because we used to go to my ammamma's place and help her peel and chop mangoes, and prepare the spices to be added to the mangoes to make the pickles. After all of the mango pieces are mixed with the spices and oil, the ladies would bottle them up or seal the pickles in plastic packets and every family got some.  

We enjoy eating Mango pickles with warm white rice or rotis. If you haven't tried mango pickles before, buy one. They are available in all Indian grocery stores. 

How do use mangoes in cooking? Share with us in the comments. 

A Celebration of Mangoes - Mango Pulihora

I hope you enjoyed reading about our love of mangoes. We like eating both ripened and raw mangoes. We love cooking with raw mangoes as well. For most South Indian festivals, we make dishes for the occasion. One of the dishes that is common is pulihora. There are different types of pulihora. My sister's favorite type is made with raw mango. It is tangy and spicy because of the spices used in the seasoning of this dish. 

Are you dying to find out how to make it? Check it out below. 

Ingredients

• 2 cups Basmati Rice (or any kind that is not sticky)
• 1/3 cup chana dal (split chickpeas)

Ingredients for seasoning

• 3 Tbsp vegetable oil
• 1/3 cup peanuts
• 1 tsp mustard seeds
• 1 tsp cumin seeds
• ½ tsp Asafoetida (also known as Hing)
• 1 tsp turmeric powder
• 1 tsp Fenugreek (also known as methi powder)
• 1 large raw mango, peeled and grated
• 6 small green chilies*, sliced into half
• 8 to 10 curry leaves
• 1-½ tsp salt to taste
• ½ tsp citric acid* (optional)

*Quick Tips

1. You can substitute 3 red chilies if fresh green chilies are not available. Break the red chilies into 1-inch pieces. 
2. If the mango is not very sour, you can use citric acid. 

Procedure

1) Cook rice and dal together with slightly less water (1:1-½ ratio rice dal mix and water) so that the grains are separated and not sticky. Then immediately transfer into an open dish, add a tablespoon of oil, and spread it to loosen the grains. Cool it for a minimum of 30 minutes. 

2) In a small skillet, add oil and heat it on medium heat. Hold your hand above the skillet and feel the heat. When it feels hot, add peanuts and fry for 3 minutes.

3) When peanuts start to turn golden, add mustard and cumin and fry until the seeds start to splutter.

4) Next, add green chilies and a pinch of salt and fry for 2 minutes. Then add hing, turmeric, and methi powder. Then add curry leaves and red chilies and mix well for 30 seconds.

5) Now add grated mango, citric acid, and salt. Mix well. 

6) Carefully mix the seasoning into the rice using a spatula or wide serving spoon. When cool to the touch, mix well using your fingers if possible. Taste and adjust the salt if needed. Mango pulihora is ready to serve and enjoy.

A Celebration of Mangoes

HAPPY NATIONAL MANGO DAY!

Photo by HOTCHICKSING on Unsplash

Mangoes are one of my favorite fruits. Besides the obvious yummy flavor, mangoes are a rich source of critical vitamins and minerals that have many positive effects on health. Did you know there are 55 varieties of mangoes in the world?  Alfonso, Kent Langra, Chaunsa, Raspuri, Keitt, and Gir Kesar are just a few types. I probably consumed only 2 or 3 varieties ever. What is your favorite type?

Photo by Rajendra Biswal on Unsplash

Whenever my family and I visited my ammamma in India, she had ripe mangoes picked from the tree in her backyard for us to enjoy during our visit. The mangoes she grew were the kind where you squeeze the juice out and enjoy. Those were good times!  

How are you enjoying mangoes on National Mango Day? There are so many ways to enjoy them like eating fresh, ripe mango slices or indulging in a range of mango-based meals including mango salsa, mango smoothies, mango lassi, and mango ice cream. 

Below are desserts we love making with mangoes. We used mango pulp for many of these recipes. You can use fresh, ripened mango as well; the taste may vary depending on the sweetness. 

1) Mango Mousse is a crowd-pleaser; you only need 4 ingredients to make this easy dessert. 

Mango Mousse

2) Mango Pistachio Kulfi (Indian ice cream) -- When I visited one of our family friends, she taught me how to make this dessert. She enjoys cooking just as much as I do. This dessert has 6 ingredients and is also easy to make. Great for parties, dates, or if your in-laws are visiting. Surprise them with your culinary skills. 

3) Mango Lassi - I love this drink because not only is it delicious but full of probiotics. We blend together mango pulp, Desi dahi (yogurt), and ice to make this drink. This is the best for those hot, sweltering summer days. 

4) All of the aunties in my family always call this dessert mango pie but it tastes like cheesecake. Don't get hung up on the name, just make it and indulge!

Is it a pie or cheesecake? I leave it up to you to decide.

Don't forget to check out 'Celebration of Mangoes - Part 2', where we share recipes using raw or unripe mangoes. 

Hello, hello everyone! Did you miss our posts? It's been a fun and busy year for us so far. We've been spending more time with family and enjoyed discovering foodie delights outside of our kitchen. Thank you for following our blog and trying our recipes.