Pulpy or raw, juiced or diced. We love the mango in all its avatars. And although the monsoon has set in most parts of the country, summer’s king of fruits is still doing the rounds. And as we continue to enjoy the last of the summer fruit, chefs continue to feature it in their creations. There’s clearly more to the fruit than meets the mouth.
That is what the country’s culinary inventors are up to this season with their innovative take on the mango. Chef Prashanth Puttaswamy from The Fatty Bao in Bengaluru says, “The mango is a very versatile fruit, which can taste phenomenal in both savoury and sweet dishes. It is one of the central ingredients in most South East Asian cuisines, which is characterised by a fine balance of sweet and sour. The fruit adds its own sweetness and tartness to a savoury dish, creating a unique balance of flavours.” The Fatty Bao recently introduced a special mango menu, with an array of dishes from salads to sushi and meats to desserts.
“Our mango and avocado sushi has been quite popular. People think sushi is made with only seafood, but we decided to do something different,” he adds. The restaurant is, however, known for its baos. And the chefs have created a version of the bao that uses raw Totapuri mangoes in the kimchi. “We use mangoes that are seasonal and local. For instance, we made a mango and yuzu meringue dessert, which consisted of three types of mangoes. We used Alphonso for the custard. For the tiny pearl scoops, we used the Baganapalli, and we used the Badami to make a semifreddo along with the yuzu. This is a popular dessert this season,” the chef says. The mango panna cotta, he adds, has been a hit with customers from the start.
Chef Sahil Narvekar of AKA Bistro in Mumbai says, “The general idea is that because the mango is sweet, it can be used in only desserts. The Indian palate is not used to the idea of sweetness in their food, unless it’s Gujarati or other sweet cuisines. People are apprehensive about how their meat will taste with something sweet. But there are many international dishes where meat is cooked with sweet sauces.” The mango menu at AKA Bistro has incorporated the local Maharashtra mango into sweets and savouries. “Across Mumbai, a lot of restaurants are making a lot of mango-based desserts. We wanted to do something different.”
He elaborates, “We have used the fruit in salads, because of the fresh flavour of the fruit. We have also added it to our bruschetta and quesadilla. Our stuffed chicken breast with mango butter is particularly popular.” Narvekar goes on to point out that the mango compliments every dish that it is incorporated into. “But the art also lies in making a dish that is balanced, without having the mango overpower the other flavours. The quinoa mango salad is extremely well-balanced, because the quinoa absorbs the flavours of any ingredient that it goes with. In the bruschetta, the green peas and the mango are a great pairing. In the quesadilla, the mango gives the dish a balance not only in flavour — because it complements the heat of the jalapenos — but also in texture, when you bite into it.”
Explaining how it works, Narvekar says, “When we add the fruit into the food, we don’t cook it. That way, it retains its sweetness and the texture. And once you cut open the mango and taste it, you can tell where to put it. Some are extra sweet, some tart, some are bright orange and some are yellow. It’s a versatile fruit to work with. We just need to know how to use it.”
