Saleha Irfan, Senior Sub-editor/Reporter
The king is here; the king of fruits that is. That’s right! It’s mango season.
In all honesty, I wait for this season all year and even then I can never get enough. Before mango season ends in August, I make sure to freeze a few batches so I can enjoy their deliciousness the rest of the year.
To fully take advantage of the mango crop this year, here are some mouth-watering and easy desserts you can make and enjoy.
MANGO RICE PUDDING
This traditional rice pudding with a mango twist makes for a rich, creamy and scrumptious dessert.
Ingredients
1/4 cup rice
3/4 cup water
1 litre milk
2 cups mango puree
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 teaspoon cardamom powder
160ml thick cream
Almonds, pistachios for garnishing
Method
1. Wash the rice and soak in water for at least 2 hours.
2. In a pot, bring the water to a boil, add rice and cook until the rice is soft and the water dries up. Crush the rice with the wooden spoon or a potato masher.
3. Add milk to the crushed rice and bring to a boil. Cook the milk and rice on low flame for 10 to 15 minutes. Keep stirring in between.
4. When the milk reduces to almost half, add cardamom powder and sugar and cook on low flame for another 10 minutes. Remove from heat and cool for some time.
5. Once cooled completely, add the mango puree and thick cream and stir until combined.
6. Pour it in a serving dish and garnish with mango cubes, chopped almonds and pistachios and refrigerate. Serve when chilled.
Creamy mango lassi.
CREAMY MANGO LASSI
Enjoy this thick and creamy mango lassi in breakfast or when you want to beat the heat with a refreshing drink on a hot summer day.
Ingredients
1 cup mango cubes
1/2 cup yogurt
1/2 cup milk
1/8 teaspoon vanilla essence
1/2 tbsp. sugar
Saffron for garnishing
Method
1. Blend yogurt with milk until it becomes thin in consistency.
2. Add the mango cubes and blend again. Then add sugar and vanilla essence.
3. Pour it out in glasses and garnish with saffron before serving.
Eggless mango mousse.
EGGLESS MANGO MOUSSE
This mango mousse is sublime with a light and airy texture that just melts in your mouth.
Ingredients
2 cups mango puree
250ml whipped cream, divided
160g thick cream
2 tbsp. icing sugar
Method
1. Beat the whipped cream with icing sugar until stiff peaks form. Set 1/2 cup aside.
2. Add the thick cream to the whipped cream and beat again. Next, add in the mango puree little by little and mix well.
3. Scoop the mixture in your desired serving bowls or glasses and refrigerate for an hour.
4. After an hour, add a layer of the reserved whipped cream and refrigerate for 2 to 3 hours. Before serving, garnish with your favourite fruits to add a little colour.
No-bake mango cheesecake.
NO-BAKE MANGO CHEESECAKE
A creamy cheesecake loaded with mango flavour and is pretty straightforward to make; all you need is a food processor.
Ingredients
For the base
150g digestive biscuits
100g butter, melted
2 tbsp. sugar
For the cake
700g mango puree
4 1/2 teaspoons unflavoured gelatine powder
1/2 cup cold water
500g cream cheese
150g sugar
300ml whipping cream
Method
1. To prepare the base, add biscuits to a food processor and crush them into fine crumbs. Add butter and sugar and mix again. In a springform pan, pour the biscuit mixture and press down firmly. Refrigerate for 15 minutes.
2. In a bowl, sprinkle the gelatine over the surface of the water. Set aside for 5 minutes until the gelatine blooms. Then, microwave it for 30 seconds, pausing halfway to stir the gelatine. Set aside to cool.
3. Next, cut the mango and blend into a puree. Set 1/2 cup puree aside for the design.
4. In a chilled bowl, add the whipping cream and beat for 2 minutes. Add cream cheese and sugar and beat again for 2 more minutes. Add the mango puree and mix well. Then add the gelatine and mix again.
5. Pour this cake mixture on top of your base. Drop spoonfuls of the reserved mango puree onto the cake. Using a knife, swirl the puree to create a marbled effect. Do not overmix.
6. Refrigerate for 8 hours or overnight to fully set.
No churn mango ice cream.
NO CHURN MANGO ICE CREAM
With just three ingredients, this mango ice cream comes together faster than you can imagine.
Ingredients
500ml whipping cream
397g condensed milk
4 cups mango puree
1 cup mango cubes
Method
1. Peel and cube the mangos, then puree in a food processor and set aside
2. In a chilled bowl, whip the cream on medium for a minute. Add the condensed milk and beat for another minute. Next, add the mango puree and beat until mixed.
3. Add the mango pieces and mix with a spoon. Pour the mixture into an airtight container and freeze overnight.
4. Before serving, thaw at room temperature for a few minutes so you can scoop it out easily.
Mango cream sandwich biscuits.
MANGO CREAM SANDWICH BISCUITS
Crispy buttery biscuits sandwiched with sweet mango buttercream will have you reaching in the cookie jar over and over.
Ingredients
For the biscuits
260g all purpose flour
60g cornflour
60g powdered sugar
225g unsalted butter
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon vanilla essence
For the filling
4 tbsp. mango pulp
113g butter
1/2 to 1 cup icing sugar (depending on the sweetness of your mangoes)
Method
1. In a bowl, whisk the all purpose flour, corn flour and salt.
2. In another bowl, beat the butter until smooth and creamy. Add the powdered sugar and beat until smooth. Add the vanilla essence and mix.
3. Next, add the flour mixture and beat until just incorporated. Form into a dough, divide into two equal flat discs and chill for an hour.
5. Roll out each half of the chilled dough to about 1/4 inch thickness. Using a cookie cutter, cut the biscuits in your desired shape. Make sure your biscuits are equal in numbers.
6. Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 180 degrees C.
7. Arrange the biscuits on a greased baking tray and bake for 12-15 minutes, or until they are lightly browned around the edges. Cool the biscuits completely before filling.
8. For the filling, beat the butter until smooth. Add the mango pulp and beat again. Add the icing sugar gradually until light and creamy. Spoon the mango cream in between two biscuits and press gently. These biscuits will keep in an airtight container for 5 days.