Delicious Recipes You Need To Try in this Mango Season

Summers in Pakistan are cruel, making it difficult to carry out normal day-to-day activities. Yet, there is something to look forward to even in the heated days, the mangoes!

No amount of scorching heat and humidity can stop us Pakistanis from stepping out of the house to buy a kilo or two, or maybe just sit at home and enjoy the perks of online shopping in Pakistan and in some cases to buy the entire wooden crate to last us for a few weeks.

Mango season is welcomed with open arms in every part of the world, but few countries honor it as we do. As soon as the first raw mangoes (Kairis) hit the markets, the desi mothers start prepping for the aam ka achar, a condiment that lasts long after the season is over.

What makes mango such a royal fruit is not just its taste but the astounding variety of this mouthwatering seasonal fruit.

In addition to its aromatic presence and succulent sweet flavors, mango also has tons of nutritional benefits and some pretty interesting fun facts. Let’s learn about them:

Nutritional Benefits of Mango

• Mangoes are very effective in reducing acne. They contain a good dose of vitamins A and C. Vitamin A derivatives have been the only effective treatment of acne so far, and mango has lots of it. Vitamin C is known to improve the appearance of the skin by improving its collagen production and preventing premature aging and giving it a nice little glow. Here’s a tip, don’t throw all those peels when you can make a nice face pack with it.
• Mangiferin, one of the phytonutrients, is found in mango. It contains heart-protective benefits and keeps the heart-healthy.
• The vitamin A in mango also helps improve the immune system. People who have weak immunity usually lack vitamin A. Furthermore, the presence of folate, vitamin K, E, and B in mango are also good immunity boosters.
• Having digestion issues in the summers? Ditch the totkas and self-prescribed medication and trust the mangoes to do the job. This seasonal fruit contains amylases, which is a digestive enzyme. It will help break down food particles and regulate healthy digestion.
• Studies have found that certain nutrients help reduce the risk of developing asthma, and one of the nutrients is beta-carotene which is abundantly found in mango.

We have barely scratched the surface of the nutritional benefits of mango. This seasonal fruit has endless benefits considering the number of nutrients it is packing within.

Fun Facts about Mango

• Mango has the honor of being the national fruit of three countries, India, Pakistan, and the Philippines. Additionally, it is the national tree of Bangladesh.
• Mango has the highest consumption all over the world than any other fruit.
• Mangoes, cashew nuts, and pistachios all belong to the same family.
• Alphonso is a type of mango that has the highest selling globally.
• Green mango has higher Vitamin C in it while the yellow ones are richer in vitamin C.
• As tasty as the mangoes are, their leaves are poisonous to cattle.
• Pakistan is the sixth-largest producer of mangoes.
• It is said that the Mughal emperor Akbar, planted a mango orchard containing 100,000 trees Darbhanga, eastern India.
• In the West Indies, the phrase ‘the mango walk’ refers to stealing another person’s mango fruits.

History of Mango

Mango is one of the most consumed and widely cultivated fruits of the tropical region. It is native to Southern Asia and then later spread to eastern Asia. West was extremely late to the mango party. The tree of mango is evergreen and lives for up to 300 years, which means your great grandfather and you could have probably eaten mangoes from the same tree.

India (or subcontinent) was the first place to cultivate mangoes. The soil and the climate of both India and Pakistan are best suited for the growth of these sweet natural delights. It is our largest and most exported product, second only to cotton. We export our mangoes to the Middle East, Germany, Iran, Japan, China, and Hong Kong. It makes a very generous and valuable contribution to the nation and serves as an important foreign currency earning fruit crop.

Now that we have got that covered, let’s move onto the most interesting thing about mangoes – the variety of ways in can be eaten. Following are some unique yet very easy mango recipes that you need to try this summer:

• Mango Lassi Popsicle

Mango and yogurt are one of the best and healthiest combo in the summers. However, kids might not be the biggest fans of it, or perhaps the heat is making you crave something ice solid. In that case, mango lassi will surely serve.

All you need to do is fill your blender with chopped mangoes, sugar, and yogurt. Pour this lassi in the Popsicle molds and leave it in the freezer overnight. If you don’t have Popsicle molds, online shopping in Pakistan is the answer to your problem.

• Mango Firni

You might have heard of the regular firni, but mango firni is just as delicious and allows you to try something new and different.

Here’s how you can prepare one:

Ingredients:

• 5 tablespoon and soaked and grinded rice
• Water (as required)
• 1/2 cup Sugar
• 60 gm dry fruits
• 1-liter milk
• 6 Green Cardamoms
• 3 Mangoes (peeled and mashed)

Method:

• In a pot, add milk, cardamoms, rice, and water. Bring it to boil and let it cook for 5 minutes.
• Now add sugar and mashed mangoes and let it cook on low flame for 5 more minutes.
• Turn off the flame, transfer the firnii into the bowl and garnish it with your favorite dry fruits.
• Serve chilled.

• Mango Ice-cream

If Popsicle is not your thing and your taste preference lean towards the soft creamy ice-cream then this mango recipe is for you. No mango ice-cream taste as good as the one made from fresh mangoes with your own hands, and it’s super easy too.

Ingredients:

1 can of sweetened condensed milk

1/8 teaspoon of yellow food color (optional)

2 cups of mango puree

2 cups thickened cream or heavy cream or whipped cream, cold

Method:

• In a bowl, add cooled mango puree, condensed milk, and food color. Whisk until well combined.
• Beat the cream until stiff peaks form.
• Add the cream little by little in the mango puree bowl and fold gently.
• Pour this mixture into a container, place a parchment paper on top before placing the lid.
• Keep it in the refrigerator for 12 hours and enjoy the cold, delicious, and homemade mango ice-cream.

• Mango Mousse

Before you panic, let us clarify, you can make an egg-less mousse. We Pakistanis have our qualms about eggs when it is anything other than poached, omelet-ed, boiled, or scrambled.

Lucky for us, we can prepare mango mousse without eggs. The mousse is light on your stomach and heavenly on your tongue.

Ingredients:

• 2 tablespoon water
• 2 tablespoon white sugar
• 1 teaspoon gelatin powder
• 125 grams mango puree
• 125 grams heavy whipping cream

Method:

• In one tablespoon of water, dissolve gelatin. Heat the remaining one tablespoon of water and add it to the gelatin mixture. Stir so that the gelatin is completely dissolved.
• In a blender, add the mango puree and the gelatin and mix on high speed until both ingredients are one. At this stage, taste the puree to see if it needs sugar. If it does, add according to your requirement and blend again. Set it aside.
• In a stand mixture, add heavy cream and 2 tablespoon of sugar. Beat on high speed until you get stiff peaks.
• Add puree into the cream and fold gently until the puree is mixed and the mixture is uniform in color.
• Pour into portion cups, refrigerate for a few hours and enjoy the delicious treat with your friends and family.

If you don’t have portion cups, use any jar. You can purchase colorful cups for your kids via online shopping in Pakistan.

• Mango Iced Tea

We Pakistanis might not be the biggest fans of iced tea but there’s no harm in trying new things, especially when new things would be as tasty as this one, and healthy too. Mango iced tea is very good coolant. It is perfect for insufferable hot and humid days where you don’t want to drink the tea but still want to drink the tea – a conundrum only tea addicted Pakistanis can understand. Well, here’s a recipe that is a combination of two things we love the most – tea and mango.

In a blender, mix cubes of mango and water very well.

Next, put two pots on the stove. In one pot, pour the mango and water mixture, add sugar and let it cook on medium flame until it becomes a thick syrup.

In the other pot brew, black tea like you normally do. When both are ready, set them aside to cool down. Then pour them in the serving jug together, mix them, add lots of ice cubes and enjoy. You’ll feel cool from the inside and no heat could bother you.

• Aam Panna

Aam Panna is a very typical Bihari drink. It chases away all kinds of heat effects and keeps you safe and sound during the worst kind of heatwave. It is also super easy to prepare and tastes heavenly. Serve this to everyone and anyone who enters the house and they’ll shower you with prayers of good fortune.

All you need to do is add peeled kairies and sugar in a pot. As it cooks, it will become a thick syrup. Add cumin powder, black salt, mint leaves, and turn off the flame. Let it cool and store it in a bottle. Any time you feel like enjoying this refreshing drink, pour a tablespoon of syrup in a glass, add water and ice cubes and your aam panna is ready.

• Green Mango Chutni

How can we forget deliciously sweet and tangy mango chutney? No matter what meal you have prepared, a mango chutney never fails to enhance the flavor. Pair it up with everyone’s favorite daal/chawal or pour it generously on your plate when enjoying seekh kebabs, boti kebabs, and tikka and charga.

Here’s how you can prepare it:

Ingredients

• 100 grams of coriander leaves
• 3 cloves of garlic
• 2 sweet and sour mangoes
• 4 chilies
• teaspoon of ginger powder
• Water
• Salt to taste
• Sugar to taste

Method

1. Peel the mangoes and deseed them. Wash the coriander leaves thoroughly and remove the stems. Add both of these ingredients in the grinder.
2. Add fresh garlic cloves, ginger powder, and chilies in the grinder and blend them to paste.
3. Add a bit of water to maintain consistency, sprinkle salt to taste and some sugar if the mangoes were not sweet at all. Blend once again and pour the chutney in a jar.

At this very moment, the summer season is in full flow, every day we get some of the best options for mangoes. We suggest you buy your favorite kind, purchase all the other things you need via online shopping in Pakistan, and enjoy some of the most delicious treats right from the comfort of your home. You won’t even need to step out of the house for it. Stay indoors, remain cool, and enjoy the same kind of treatment as someone who is on vacation at a tropical location.

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