Viji Varadarajan
(Cookbook Author)
Banganapalli: Originally from Guntur. Now it’s grown in Tamil Nadu too. Ripe by mid-April and stays May-end.
Imam Pasand: The Thathachari family in Srirangam, Trichy hold the rights for Imam Pasand. It oozes a flavour that is intoxicating. Catch the best by early March. It’s off the market by April-end.
Langra: Enjoy a languid summer afternoon biting into the sweet ripe flavour of this luscious fruit. Best during the last two weeks of July.
Mambazha Pulissery
A sweet sour and spicy Palghat dish.
Ingredients
2 medium-sized, ripe mangoes
One-and-a-half cups yoghurt, beaten
Quarter tsp turmeric powder
curry leaves
Half tsp salt
For the paste
2 tbsp rice, soaked in hot water
1 cup coconut, grated
4 green chillies
1 tsp cumin seeds
For seasoning
Quarter tsp mustard seeds
2 tsp oil
Method
Wash and chop mango with skin. Heat one-and-a-half cups of water with turmeric powder and simmer the mango pieces adding salt. In five minutes remove it and keep it aside. Blend the rice, coconut, green chillies and cumin into a fine paste. Keep it aside. Heat the oil and pop the mustard. Add the cooked mangoes, blended paste and the yoghurt. Simmer for a few minutes until it thickens. Squeeze wet curry leaves, add and stir for five seconds. Remove it from flame. Serve as a main course dish with steamed rice and a dollop of ghee.
Nivedita Subramanian
(U.S. based food blogger — www.panfusine.com)
Alphonso: Hey, I’m a Mumbai girl. I was practically weaned on this variety!
Ataulfo / Champagne mangoes: This is a variety from Mexico, resembles the Indian Dasheri, Custard-like texture without any fibre. Perfect for making chilled desserts.
Banganapalli: It was a tradition to sit around waiting for this giant mango to be diced and shared with family. A comfort-factor fruit!
Whipped Mango Pudding
A mousse-like twist on the classic Aamrakhand.
Ingredients
One-and-a-half cups chilled, strained (Greek) yogurt
6 fresh mango slices (just the ‘cheeks’)
4 tsp icing sugar
8 to 10 strands of saffron, a few more for garnish
Seeds from four cardamom pods powdered
Half cup chilled heavy whipping cream
Juice of one lemon
Generous amounts of pistachio halves for garnish
Method
In a food processor, blend the mangoes, cardamom powder, saffron, sugar and whipped cream until the mixture has the thick texture of pancake batter. Keeping the processor on, gradually add the yogurt (and extra sugar, if desired). Once the yogurt has been incorporated, add the lemon juice. Allow the processor to run for 30 seconds more until the citrus juice completely mixes. Transfer the yogurt into a serving bowl (or individual cups), chill until set (the texture should be similar to pudding). Garnish with a few strands of saffron and pistachio halves (the crunch of the nuts complements the texture of the pudding). Serve chilled.
Chandra Padmanabhan
(Cookbook Author)
Mangoes are rich in Vitamin C and A. They also contain iron, potassium and fibre. Combined with curd, there’s protein and calcium.
Langra: With its distinctive green skin, this mango has a rich flavour that’s special. It’s is an acquired taste, but people such as me, who grew up in the North (especially Delhi and Kolkata) love it.
Chausa: This is a small aromatic mango with a thick golden yellow skin. The best way to eat it is by sucking out the juicy, sweet, pulp.
Dasheri: It doesn’t really have a unique flavour, but I love the sweet juiciness.
Mango Smoothie
Ingredients
Three-fourth cup fresh curd
Half cup finely chopped ripe mangoes
Sugar or sugar-free to taste
Method
Combine all the ingredients in a liquidiser and beat to a smooth texture. Garnish with finely chopped mangoes and serve chilled.
Mallika Badrinath
(Cookbook Author)
Bengaloora (called Thothapuri in Chennai): Ideal with nungu (palm fruit) and condensed milk. We loved it as children!
Salem Gundu: As I come from Salem, I feel Gundu is the best mango for halwa.
Peethar: Also known as Natasala, it’s a tasty addition to a meal of curd rice.
Mango Patholi is a traditional sweet I learnt from my grandmother. It’s steam-cooked, light and tasty!
Mango Patholi
Ingredients
For the dough
1 cup processed rice flour1 tbsp oil / ghee
Salt to taste
For stuffing
1 cup finely chopped sweet mango
Quarter cup sugar
2 tbsp grated fresh coconut
Cardamom powder to taste
1 tsp ghee
Method
Mix rice flour with salt and just enough hot water to get a thick chappati dough-like consistency. Knead well with a little oil. Mix the stuffing ingredients together and cook in a kadai over low flame, till it’s thick. Cut a banana leaf into four-inch squares. Pat a little rice dough on top into puri shape. Place a little stuffing in the centre and fold the leaf to seal it. Prepare the rest similarly, and arrange them in a large idli plate and steam cook for seven minutes.
Chef Venkatesh Bhat
(CEO, Accord Hotels and Resorts)
Thothapuri : It’s good to eat plain with salt and chillies and also used in cooking a few Kerala dishes such as Alleppey fish curry.
Kaadu Maange: This is a variety available in Malanad, Coorg and other hill stations. These are small and in perfect round shape with a lot of fibre content.
Mavinakkai Mudi: Grown extensively in Mangalore and these are baby mangoes, mostly used to make pickles and chutneys.
Mavinakkai Menanskai
Tender mango cooked in black sesame and coconut-based sweet and sour gravy.
Ingredients
4 pieces raw mango
25 gm Kashmiri dry red chillies
15 gm coriander seeds
15 gm channa dal
15 gm urad dal
15 gm black pepper corn
10 gm cumin seed
5 gm asafoetida
10 gm curry leaves
100 ml tamarind pulp
25 gm jaggery
25 ml coconut oil
10 gm mustard seed
50 gm freshly grated coconut
15 gm green chilli
20 gm black sesame seeds
10 gm salt
Method
Heat griddle and dry roast channa dal, urad dal, cumin seed, black pepper corn, Kashmiri dry red chilli, curry leaves and black sesame seeds. In a separate non-stick pan, sauté freshly grated coconut. Grind together all the above ingredients to make a coarse paste, and keep it aside. Boil tamarind pulp and water with green chillies. Add salt and raw mango cubes (with skin) and simmer for sometime. Add the paste to it and then jaggery. For tempering, heat coconut oil in a pan and add mustard seed, Kashmiri dry red chillies, cumin seeds, curry leaves and asafoetida; add it to the raw mango mix and garnished with curry leaves. Serve hot
