Mango (see mango) is one of the exotic tropical fruits found in several countries including India, Philippines, Brazil, Mexico and other tropical regions around the globe. Here in the Philippines, it is one of the tastiest sources of our sweetest delights. A wide variety of recipes and dishes can be made from mangoes. And the best thing about it is you can use it in cooking recipes whether ripe or unripe, or you can eat it as a whole fruit, raw and plain.

So for everyone who loves mangoes, for those whose mouths water by just the thought of it, and for those who love experimenting on mangoes and turning them into something unique and savory, here’s a blog that will show you how. This blog will generally talk about your favorite fruit, mangoes and the many ways & recipes in which you can use them. So read along and don’t skip a word! 

Delicious, Heavenly Mango Recipes!

Mango is a tropical fruit that belongs to genus Mangifera and plant family Anacardiaceae. It is scientifically known as Mangifera indica. Its origin can be traced in India where it was widely cultivated before it has spread all over the world. Mango is a fleshy and juicy fruit, orange-yellow in color, with numerous soft fibrils within its flesh and a huge kidney-shaped seed found in its centermost. Mango is sometimes round or oval in shape. Externally, it is smooth and green when unripe, but turns golden yellow, bright yellow, or orange-red when ripe.

When ripe, mangoes have a rich, pleasant flavor that’s sweet and slightly sour. Because of its undeniably addicting flavor, it has become a popular ingredient to many cuisines.

Here are the some of the top recipes that use mangoes as their main ingredient.

MANGO LASSI . One of the most popular beverages in Northern India and South Asian countries. The mango lassi drink is the combination of a smoothie and a milkshake, and is generally made of fresh ripe mangoes! Here’s how to make this absolutely heavenly drink. This recipe is done in 20 minutes and yields 2 servings.

Notes: In choosing a mango, select one that is fleshy and heavy for its size. It is very important to consider the smell which should be fragrant when held near your nose. In this recipe, you can also use canned, sweetened or frozen mango but remember to use a lesser amount of sugar when using sweetened mangoes.

Ingredients:

·         1/4 cups plain low-fat yogurt 

·         1/2 teaspoon freshly-squeezed lemon juice

·         1/2 cup fresh mango pulp 

·         1/3 cup cold water 

·         1 to 2 tablespoons honey or sugar (depending on how sweet you want it)

·         9 to 10 standard-size ice cubes

Instructions:

1.        Peel and remove the flesh from the seed by slicing them carefully; cut mango flesh into small pieces.
2.        In a regular blender, mix together yogurt, lemon juice, mango pulp, water, and honey or sugar. Blend all these ingredients approximately for 2 to 3 minutes or until the mixture is thoroughly and evenly combined and smooth
3.         Add the ice and blend until frothy! but if you prefer to pour the ice over the mango mixture and drink it instantly without blending, you can definitely skip this step.
4.        Keep your Mango Lassi in refrigerator for a few hours or until desired coolness is achieved.
5.       Pour into glasses and enjoy!

MANGO MELON SOUP . A soup that’s made from mangoes and other yummy fruits like melons and bananas. This can be an amazing dessert soup for breakfast and a unique twist of mangoes! This recipe involves a 15-minute preparation time and yields 8 servings.

Ingredients:

•          1 small cantaloupe, peeled and cubed 
•          1 ripe banana, peeled and chunked 
•          3 mangoes, peeled, cubed and divided 
•          1 tablespoon fresh-squeezed lemon juice 
•          1 tablespoon honey 
•          Pure vanilla extract 
•          Mint Leaves, for garnish 
•          Fresh Raspberries, for garnish

Instructions: 

In a blender, place cantaloupe cubes, banana chunks, 1/2 of the mango cubes, lemon juice, honey, and vanilla extract and blend until a smooth, well-combined mixture is obtained. 

Refrigerate mixture for several hours or overnight, depends on you. Refrigerate the remaining mango cubes separately.  

When ready to serve, segregate mango cubes among 8 small dessert cups. Stir the refrigerated fruit mixture and pour evenly over mango cubes in each dessert cup. Before serving, garnish each with a mint leaf and raspberries.

INDIAN MANGO RICE. This is an Indian delicacy that introduces a great way to use unripe green mangoes. The recipe includes using many Indian ingredients such as Basmati rice, Asafoetida powder, chilies and Chana Daal. If you think you’ll have problems finding these ingredients, use substitute instead. You can use sautéed minced garlic cloves , onions along with a single garlic clove or the combination of garlic and onion powder as substitutes for Asafoetida powder. On the other hand, you can use garbanzo beans as an alternative to chana daal. 

Ingredients:

•    4 tablespoons of raw Peanuts 
•  Curry leaves 
•  150 grams Basmati Rice

         For Masala:

•            1/2 tsp Turmeric Powder
•                11/2 tsp Mustard seeds
•                6 Red Chilies
•                11/2 cup Grated Green Mango 
•                4 tablespoons of  Fresh Coconut, grated
•               1/2 tsp Asafoetida powder

        For Tempering:

•              1 tablepoon of Chana Daal (yellow split peas), rinsed 
•              1 Red Chilli, halved 
•              1 tsp Mustard seeds
•              Curry leaves
•               3 tablespoons of Oil

 Instructions:

The first thing to do is to cook the rice. When nicely cooked, spread into a platter, and set aside to cool. To make the masala, place mustard seeds, asafoetida powder, red chillies, turmeric powder, and grated coconut in a blender or food processor. Add half of the grated mangoes and blend everything to make a fine paste. Set aside.

For tempering, heat up the oil in a large frying pan. Stir in mustard, chana daal, red chilli, and curry leaves to cook. Stir while cooking and wait for the mustard seeds to splutter before adding the peanuts. Once the fried mixture is golden, add the remaining mangoes. Sauté for a few minutes over medium heat or until the mangos are nicely cooked.

Pour the masala over fried mixture in frying pan. Cook the mixture until the raw smell fades away, then remove from heat up and set aside.

Go back to the cooked rice which has been set aside, add salt to taste and extra curry leaves. Pour the fried masala mixture gently (little by little) over the rice, until well blended.

 Serve hot and Enjoy!

SIMPLE MANGO CAKE RECIPE. If you got ripe leftover mangoes in your kitchen and you’re craving for a delicious and fulfilling dessert, turn these lonely mangoes into a cake. This recipe is one of the easiest ways to make a yummy and fulfilling mango cake. This would take you 40-50 minutes including the preparation and baking time. Try this and enjoy a fluffy, yummy, mango-rich cake!

Ingredients: 

For Mango Sauce:

·         1 ripe mango, peeled and sliced

·         1/2 cup sugar

·         1 tbsp lemon juice

·         2 tbsp butter.

For Cake:

·         24- grams plain flour

·         6-8 tbsp pineapple juice

·         200 grams powdered sugar

·         4 eggs

·         200 grams butter

·         1 tsp baking powder

·         1 tsp mango essence

Instructions:

First, make the mango sauce by melting sugar in a saucepan until brown. Stir in butter and lemon juice. Continue stirring the mixture until it becomes a thin syrup. Place mango slices into the saucepan and continue cooking for 3-4 minutes.

Make the cake by creaming sugar and butter until light and fluffy. Add egg yolks one at a time while beating the mixture. In a separate bowl, beat the egg whites until stiff. Fold in the sifted flour and baking powder while alternately pouring the egg whites into the creamed mixture. Add mango essence, mix and beat well to make perfect batter.

  Go back to the mango sauce and remove the mango slices in it using a fork or tongs. Lay the mango slices into the prepared baking dish, and then pour mango sauce over it. Pour next the cake batter.

Bake at 170 ^o C for 30-40 minutes. Check completeness by inserting a knife into the center of the cake. If it comes out clean, the cake is already done. Remove from the oven and set aside to cool.

Serve and Enjoy!

MANGO SALSA. Salsa is definitely an easy-to-make dish. To Hispanic cooking, salsas are considered as main staple but usually go wonderfully with grilled chicken, fish and pork dishes. This mango salsa can be served as a main staple, a side dish or a yummy dip. This is one unique combination of mangoes, herbs and spices. The moderate sweetness of the mangoes complemented very well to the flavors of onions, cilantro and jalapeno peppers! This recipe is done in 15-20 minutes and yields 6-8 servings!

Ingredients:

•  ½ large red onion, minced 
• 1/4 cup fresh cilantro leaves 
• 1/2 jalapeno pepper, seeds and membranes removed, minced 
• Juice of one lime 
• 3 ripe mangoes, peeled and diced

      Instructions:

Wash and peel ripe mangoes. Slice and cut the flesh into dices/cubes. Combine all the ingredients in a large mixing bowl. Set aside for 10 minutes. Toss nicely and then serve along with grilled fish, chicken or pork. Enjoy!

YouTube Videos

Mangoes are really good for the summer season. Its sweet taste makes you feel like you've just stepped out from the pool with coconut trees all over the place and the sun blazing hot above the clouds. It creates that feeling of summer invading the whole country singlehandedly and don’t deny it, it feels great, really, really great!

One good thing (or it can be a downside) about mangoes is that this fruit isn’t always around, but when they are in season, you get that exquisite craving that has been building inside you for many seasons and the moment you taste it, you’re literally on Cloud 9! So, if you’re at a situation wherein baskets of mangoes are literally bombarded right into your home by your friends, parents, or in-laws during summer, here are some videos on various delicious mango preparations you can choose from.  

Mango Sorbet

Laura Vitale, my favorite YouTube Italian chef who prepares EVERYTHING has once more waved her magic wand and managed to produce this deliciously enticing, yet absolutely easy mango sorbet for the upcoming summer season. If you taste her creamy, smooth mango sorbet, you’ve probably never expected something this divinely wonderful to be just as easy as making pancakes. Believe me, I’m not exaggerating my analogy because for all I know, Laura can make any recipe easy and more simple and can still produce it with heavenly taste.

You can see in this video that Laura is squeezing one lemon juice to her mangoes right before she pureed them, this adds that little bit of brightness to the sorbet, it puts a tinge of tangy flavor to the mangoes. She also specifically said that when preparing any food, you should put a dash of salt because it always brings out the flavor in everything you prepare.  Removing the fibers through sifting right before chilling is probably the most genius thing in this recipe because it makes the end product really creamy, you couldn’t even tell that there are no traces of cream or any dairy product in this sorbet! Just simply WOW. 

Mango Smoothie

Still from Laura Vitale’s recipe, this mango smoothie is quick, easy, healthy, and tasty! What more could you ask for? Laura ingeniously adds half a slice of ripe banana, not to add some banana flavor to the smoothie, but to incorporate that really sweet taste from bananas, thus making it some sort of an alternate in using sugar. She adds a small amount of vanilla yogurt making it a mind-blowing fusion of mango and vanilla flavors! Laura’s mango smoothie is really, really thick, chilly, and creamy which makes it a perfect beverage during a hot summer afternoon picnic with family or friends.