Atreyee Poddar
You buy mangoes with a lot of excitement and enthusiasm, but forget about them for two days. Then suddenly your kitchen smells like peak summer and poor planning. But slightly overripe mangoes are often sweeter, juicier, and perfect for recipes that are better than the predictable smoothie bowl. Here are five creative ways to rescue those leftover mangoes from the compost bin.
Blend ripe mangoes with lime juice, black salt, mint leaves and roasted cumin. Add to soda water, crushed ice and a pinch of chilli powder on top. The result is a drink which is sweet, salty and tangy, all at the same time.
Slice the mangoes and lightly char them on a hot pan until caramelised. Then blend with green chillies, mint, garlic, vinegar, and roasted cumin. This smoky chutney works with sandwiches, grilled fish, kebabs, even leftover dal-chawal.
This sounds like something from a fancy restaurant with tiny portions, but it works beautifully. Freeze mango pieces solid, then grate them over vanilla ice cream, yogurt, cheesecake, or chilled rabdi.
Ripe mangoes bring natural sweetness and body to spicy curries. Blend mango pulp into a tomato-onion gravy with ginger, garlic, and red chilli. It pairs really great with prawns, paneer, tofu, or grilled chicken.
Mash soft mango into salted butter with honey, chilli flakes, and a squeeze of lime. Spread it over toast, parathas, grilled corn, or pancakes.