Must Try Mango Recipes
With the rain come mangoes! Juicy, sweet and delicious these tropical fruits are in season for several months with the hight of mango season usually taking place in the month of June.
Mangoes are loved by many all around the world, and used differently from culture to culture. In Panama, green (unripe) mangoes are a common snack. The type of mango that is more commonly used by street vendors for this popular mango salad is the ‘Papayo’ mango. The Papayo mango is a rather large mango, with little fibre and a sweet taste. This local mango salad is usually served in a plastic bag made with four simple ingredients: mango, salt, pepper and vinegar.
Love mango? Here are a few more tasty recipes to make this mango season even more delicious.
Mango Lassi
A Lassi is an Indian drink, similar to a milkshake or ‘smoothie’. A dash of cardamom seeds gives the drink a unique spiced flavour. This refreshing drink is perfect for the tropics and is a great way to take advantage of the mango season upon us.
To make a mango Lassi at home you will need: 9 oz. of plain yogurt, 4 ½ oz. of milk 3 fresh mangos sliced, 4 teaspoons of sugar, cardamom seeds to taste and a dash of salt. Blend ingredients in the blender on high for approximately 2 minutes. Serve cold. The Lassi can be kept refrigerated for up to 24 hours.
Green Mango Salad
Ingredients
1/3 cup (75 mL) chopped cashews or peanuts
2 unripe mangoes, 2 lbs. / 1 kg total
1/3 cup (75 mL) chopped fresh coriander
1/3 cup (75 mL) chopped mint
2 tbsp. (30 mL) lime juice
4 tsp. (18 mL) granulated sugar
4 tsp. (18 mL) fish sauce
1 tbsp. (15 mL) vegetable oil
1/4 tsp. (1 mL) Asian chili sauce or hot pepper sauce
1 sweet red pepper, thinly sliced
1 cup (250 mL) thinly sliced red onions
Preparation
In skillet or toaster oven, toast cashews over medium heat until fragrant and golden, about 8 minutes; set aside.
Cut pointy ends off mangoes. Set each mango on cut end. Using serrated knife cut off peel. Cut flesh on either side of flat pit into thin slices; stack and cut into thin strips.
In bowl, whisk together coriander, mint, lime juice, sugar, fish sauce, oil and chili sauce. Add mangoes, red pepper and onion; toss to coat. (Make-ahead: Cover and refrigerate for up to 2 days.) Sprinkle with cashews.
Mango Salsa
Ingredients
1 mango - peeled, seeded, and chopped
1/4 cup finely chopped red bell pepper
1 green onion, chopped
2 tablespoons chopped cilantro
1 fresh jalapeno chili pepper, finely chopped
2 tablespoons of lime juice
1 tablespoon lemon juice
Directions
In a medium bowl, mix mango, red bell pepper, green onion, cilantro, jalapeno, lime juice, and lemon juice. Cover, and allow to sit at least 30 minutes before serving.
Grilled Tilapia with Mango Salsa
Ingredients
1/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1 tablespoon minced fresh parsley
1clove garlic, minced
1 teaspoon dried basil
1 teaspoon ground black pepper
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 (6 ounce) tilapia fillets
1 large ripe mango, peeled, pitted and diced
1/2 red bell pepper, diced
2 tablespoons minced red onion
1 tablespoon chopped fresh cilantro
1 jalapeno pepper, seeded and minced
2 tablespoons of lime juice
1 tablespoon of lemon juice
Salt and pepper to taste
Directions
Whisk together the extra-virgin olive oil, 1 tablespoon lemon juice, parsley, garlic, basil, 1 teaspoon pepper, and 1/2 teaspoon salt in a bowl and pour into a reseal able plastic bag. Add the tilapia fillets, coat with the marinade, squeeze out excess air, and seal the bag. Marinate in the refrigerator for 1 hour.
Prepare the mango salsa by combining the mango, red bell pepper, red onion, cilantro, and jalapeno pepper in a bowl. Add the lime juice and 1 tablespoon of lemon juice, and toss well. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Refrigerate until ready to serve.
Preheat an outdoor grill for medium-high heat, and lightly oil grate.
Remove the tilapia from the marinade, and shake off excess. Discard the remaining marinade. Grill the fillets until the fish is no longer translucent in the center, and flakes easily with a fork, 3 to 4 minutes per side, depending on the thickness of the fillets. Serve the tilapia topped with mango salsa.
Mango Sorbet
Ingredients
4 very ripe mangos, peeled, seeded and cubed
1 cup simple syrup (To make simple syrup, boil a cup of water and then stir in a cup of sugar until the sugar is dissolved)
3 tablespoons fresh lime juice
Directions
Place cubed mango in a food processor, and puree. Pour in simple syrup and lime juice, and puree until smooth.
Place in an ice cream maker. Freeze thoroughly.
If you do not have an ice cream maker:
Make sure you have a bowl that’s quite wide to use for the churning/freezing process that comes next. Take your ice cream recipe mixture and transfer to the freezer for about half an hour. Then check just how much the mixture has frozen - ideally, it should have started to freeze at the edges but not fully through to the centre. Take the bowl out of the freezer and beat the ice cream mixture until it’s creamy once again (to dislodge and break up the ice crystals that have formed). Put it back in the freezer for another half hour, then remove and once again beat with a whisk. Do this again so that you have beaten the mixture a total of 3 times whilst freezing in between. Put the mixture back into the freezer for a final time until it’s ready to eat. This can take anything from 30 minutes upwards, depending upon the quantity and type of ice cream you’re making and also how you like the consistency of your ice cream (some people like it softer, some harder).
