Mango Chia Pudding

Lately, I have been enjoying chia pudding for breakfast. My favorite combination is using mango!

Ingredients:

1 cup lite coconut milk
1/4 cup chia seeds
1 tbsp of maple syrup
1 mango

In a bowl, mix the coconut milk and chia seeds thoroughly.

Peel and dice the mango. Place roughly half in a food processor and blend to a pulp. Transfer the pulp to the milk mixture. Add maple syrup and mix well. Top with the rest of the diced mango.

Refrigerate overnight and enjoy the next morning for breakfast!

Makes 3-4 servings.

It’s Popsicle Week: Cardamon flavored Mango Popsicle

Now that summer is officially here, the heat is on. With highs in the upper 80’s or mid 90’s,  I have been craving cooler stuff such as ice cream.

Last year I tried some of the Popsicle from Wit & Vinegar’s Popsicle Week. As it happens this week is Popsicle Week!

This year I am trying some of mine as well as some from past Popsicle Week recipes.  Here are a couple I have tried this week that were so good!

 Cardamon flavored Mango Popsicle:

1 cup lite coconut milk (or use Almond milk)
1.25 cups mango pulp or lightly blended mango (I left mine chunky)
1/4 cup white chocolate bits
a drizzle of lemon juice
a dash of cardamon

Bring the coconut milk to boil and add white chocolate bits. Warm until the chocolate melts. Mix well. Meanwhile lightly process the mango if using diced mango until blended into small bits. Mix in the milk mixture. Add cardamon and mix well.

Pour into Popsicle molds and refrigerate for four hours.

When ready to serve, eat them as is or melt some dark chocolate and dip the end of  the Popsicle in it. Then roll it in some grated coconut. Enjoy!

I also tried these cherry flavored Popsicle from here.

Pistachio Dipped Cherry and White Chocolate Pops

1 cup almond or lite coconut milk
1.25 cups cherries, pitted
1/4 cup white chocolate

Bring the coconut milk to boil and add white chocolate bits. Warm until the chocolate melts. Mix well. Meanwhile lightly process the cherries into bits. Add to the milk mixture and mix well.

Pour into Popsicle molds and refrigerate for four hours.

Just before serving, optionally melt some white chocolate, and dip the Popsicle in it. Next roll it in some pistachio bits. Enjoy!

See Also:

Cherry, Dark Chocolate, and Coffee Popsicle
Cherry, Almond and  Dark Chocolate Bark
Cherry Swirl with Dark Chocolate and Cherry Bits

Mango and Coconut Scone

Now that we are well into spring, the grocery stories are overflowing with fresh fruit and vegetables. I picked up some assorted fruits and my mind was on baking.

Cakes, muffins or scones?

Scones are undoubtedly one of my favorite snack.  While I frequently bake cherry or cranberry scones, I have never baked mango scones. This seemed to be the perfect time to experiment with baking a mango scone.

I have a standard healthy recipe for scones I use. and here is the version adapted for a mango scone.

Ingredients:
2 cups all purpose flour
1 cup whole wheat flour
1/3 cup sugar
1/2 stick  butter (or add more for a flaky scone)
1 cup buttermilk
2 1/2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp cardamon powder
1 mango, peeled and diced
1/2 cup + a little more coconut flakes
1/2 cup chopped pecans

Pre-heat the oven to 425 degrees.

In a large bowl, mix flour, sugar, baking soda, baking powder,cardamon powder,  and salt. Use a pastry blender to cut in the cold butter or use your hands to mix in. Add buttermilk and mix in. Fold in diced mango and coconut flakes and pecans and mix gently into a ball.

Using a rolling pin, roll out the dough into a  circle and 1/2 in thick slab and cut into triangles or scoop 1-2 tbsp onto a baking pan lined with parchment paper.  Brush with some melted butter and sugar crystals (optional). Bake for 10-12 minutes. Makes about 12 scones.

Enjoy a warm scone with some butter or jam or as is with a nice cuppa tea or coffee. Or Glaze with some mango flavored icing for a sweeter scone.

If not ready to eat, you can  freeze the scones in a freezer bag. When ready to eat remove from freezer and let it return to room temperature or pop it in a microwave for 10-15 seconds and it is ready to eat!

Note: I tend to use less sugar and less butter. For a sweeter and more flaky scone adjust sugar and butter to suit your personal preference.

Menthi Baddalu or Mango Pickle with Fenugreek Seasoning

Spring is the time that mangoes are found in abundance in Tropical countries. My mother always liked to make two quick pickles with the baby mangoes: ( you can make them with adult mangoes as well)  aava baddalu or menthi baddalu. The only difference between the two is one uses mustard seed seasoning and the other fenugreek seasoning. And for one the mango is peeled and chopped fine which for the other, mango is thinly sliced without peeling.

I typically tend to make the aava baddalu more often, since it is made without peeling the mango and the pickle stays crunchier longer. I have posted the approximate recipe for this in the past, and you can find it here.

Recently I picked up a dozen or so baby mangoes and decided to make both this time. Here is how I made the menthi baddalu. The quantities for the seasoning are approximate and can be adjusted as per personal preference. The mangoes found here are not as sour as those found in India, so I do tend to use less salt and spices.

Ingredients:

4 baby mangoes
3 tbsp red chilli powder
1 tbsp fenugreek powder
1-2 tbsp oil
salt to season

Rinse the mangoes and pat dry. Peel and chop the mangoes into fine pieces.

Meanwhile mix the salt, chilli powder and fenugreek powder well. Add to the chopped mangoes and drizzle oil and mix well. Set aside for a few hours to allow the juices to rise.

Mix well, taste to check seasoning. Add any salt or other seasoning if necessary. Transfer to an air tight container and refrigerate. If salt and seasoning is sufficient it will keep for a few weeks or months.

I love to eat it with rice or roti.

Mango Poha

It is hit or miss, each time I pick up some green mangoes in the local Asian market. I hope for sour, green mangoes. Most times they end up being, Mexican mangoes that look green, but are set to ripe soon and hence are slightly sweet.

When that happens, I set the green mangoes aside for smoothies, salads and other experimentation. This past week, after spending almost $10 on three perfect green mangoes, I was left with neither one to make Mango Dal  or Pullihora. Instead I decided to use one of them with Poha for an alternative.

Poha is very easy to cook and you can make this dish in under 10 minutes. It is perfect for an afternoon snack or a quick Saturday morning breakfast.

Ingredients:
1 cup red rice poha
1/2 green mango grated
1-2 jalapeno sliced
1 tbsp oil
1 tbsp channa dal
1 tbsp urad dal
1 tsp mustard seeds
2-3 dry red chilli
1/2 tsp turmeric
a dash of asafeotida
a few curry leaves (optional.. if you can find them)
1/4 cup cashews or you can use peanuts
salt to taste

Heat a tbsp of oil in a pan. Add turmeric and asafotida. Add all the ingredients except the curry leaves, poha, mango and jalapeno.

Fry till lightly golden. Add curry leaves and jalapeno and fry for 1-2 minutes.

Meanwhile, soak the poha in a bowl of water. Rinse, squeeze the water and toss the poha in with the seasoning. Add grated mango, or you can add mango pulp As much as you like , season with salt and continue to cook for another 2-3 minutes.

Remove from flame and serve warm with coffee or tea.

Mango and Cranberry Cake

It’s fall and cranberries are available in abundance in grocery stories. I picked up a box of them this week and the first thought in my mind was to make cake with mango!

So…. here goes…

Ingredients:

1 cup whole wheat pastry flour
1/2 cup almond meal
3/4 cup brown sugar
1/2 mango diced
1 cup fresh cranberries
1/2 cup coconut flakes
1 1/4 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
1 tsp vanilla essence
2 eggs
1/2 stick unsalted butter
1/3 cup milk

Pre-heat oven to 400 degrees F.

In a large bowl, mix flour, almond meal, salt and baking powder. In a separate bowl whisk sugar and eggs until thick. Add essence. Fold in melted butter and milk and whisk together. Add to dry ingredients and mix well.

Set aside a handful of cranberries and add the rest to the batter along with the diced mango. Optionally can add some walnuts. Mix well. Pour into a well greased baking pan. Arrange the remaining cranberries on top of the cake batter.

Bake for 30-40 minutes until golden and an inserted toothpick comes out clean. Serve warm with a dollop of ice cream or whipped cream or stand alone with some warm spicy chai.

See Also:

Apricot and Cranberry Cake
Cranberry Pumpkin Loaf
Whole Wheat Cranberry Orange Loaf
Cranberry Orange Bread
Cherry Cake

Mango and Farro Salad

It’s the time of the month, to clean the refrigerator. What better way than to plan new recipes!

I’ve tried a Mango and Spinach Salad and a Mediterranean Spinach Salad. This one is a cross between the two. What better way then to combine/refresh old recipes.

Ingredients:

1/2 Mango(Mexican) chopped
1/4 Farro cooked
1/2 Orange Bell Pepper chopped
1/8 Red Onion chopped
1/8 Cucumber chopped
8-10 Cherry Tomatoes sliced or whole
1 cup baby Spinach (Optional)
2-3 tbsp Feta Cheese

Dressing

1-2 tbsp olive oil
Lemon Juice as needed
Salt and Fresh Ground Pepper

Cook the Farro as per directions, and set aside. Typically bring 1/2 cup water to boil. Add farro and cook on medium low until cooked, adding additional water as needed.

When ready to eat, combine all ingredients lightly, toss with dressing and serve on a bed of spinach!

Announcing Mango Mania

I Love Mango in all forms and shape…

• Raw Green
• Sweet Ripe
• Dried Sour Green
• Dried Sweet Ripe
• Pickled
• Dried Amchur Powder
• Mango Ice Cream
• Mango Greek Yogurt

and so much more…

I use Mango in all forms… So much so, I have created an all new page specially for Mango!

Now you can follow every new mango related recipe. Hope you will enjoy them as I do 🙂

Sassy Mango & Blue Berry Water

Whether we like it or not… Summer is almost here… the heat is intense. The humidity almost unbearable…

Rather than succumb to high fructose soda water, this year I am experimenting with fruit flavored water. Last week it was lightly sweetened refreshing Cherry Lemonade… this week it is Sassy Mango & Blue Berry Water. This is somewhat inspired from the recipes on Prevention.com. Check there for more ideas 🙂

Celebrate the arrival of summer with some fresh Mango recipes!

Here is one to jump start the summer!

Ingredients:

1/2 Sweet Mango thinly sliced
1/2 cup blue berries whole or sliced
1/2 lemon sliced
1/4 in ginger thinly sliced
3 cups water
2-3 tbsp Maple Syrup or Honey

Stir all in a large and chill overnight. Top with ice and serve chilled!

Mango Risotto

I “cooked” this recipe in my mind’s eye a few months ago. Although, I bought arborio rice, for some reason I did not actually “cook” it, till recently. It turned out as tasty as I anticipated!

In fact, I can think of a slight variation of this, that can be made into a dessert…

You can’t really go wrong with mango!

Ingredients:

1 cup arborio rice
1 green mango
1 onion
1/4 cup cashews
a little cilantro to garnish
salt to taste
a pinch of turmeric
1-2 tbsp oil
1 tbsp butter

Peel and chop mango. Process in a food processor to make thick pulp.

Cook the arborio rice according to directions. When cooked, add the mango pulp and mix thoroughly. Add salt to taste. Add turmeric or you can also use saffron.

Meanwhile saute sliced onion, until caramelized.

Heat the butter in a separate pan. Add cashews and fry till golden.

Garnish the risotto with some caramelized onions, cashews and cilantro and serve warm.

Alternately, I think you can use a cup of coconut milk to cook the arboro rice, use sweet mexican mango and top with cashews and raisins to make it into a semi-sweet dessert that can be served warm or chilled. Add some ground cardamon for aroma. You can add some sugar, if necessary, to soothe your taste buds!

It’s perfect for that busy, office day meal or enjoy as a side dish, or make it into a dessert!