With warmer weather upon us, it is time to whip up delicious recipes using one of the season’s favourite fruits: mangoes.
Have it with your meals or cherish it as a midday snack, many nutritionists would advise you to go for mangoes this summer season considering they are a storehouse of magnesium and potassium and can even prevent inflammation of the heart among a range of other benefits.
There are many ways to consume mangoes in summer. Apart from eating as it is, you can try making a variety of delicious and amazing recipes.
Courtesy of the South African Mango Growers’ Association, below are a few that you can try at home this summer.
Mango and coleslaw lettuce boats with sesame dressing
Serves: 4 - 6
Ingredients
1 baby gem or small cos lettuce, washed and patted dry
1 packet coleslaw mix
1 fennel bulb, very thinly sliced
2 ripe mangoes, peeled, stoned and sliced
Sesame seeds, to garnish
Fresh coriander, to garnish
For the sesame dressing
250ml vegetable oil
60ml apple cider
80ml soya sauce
45ml sesame oil
15ml honey
2 cloves garlic, crushed
2cm ginger, peeled and grated
30ml lemon juice
125ml tahini
Method
Start by making the dressing, place all the ingredients in a jar with a screw-top lid, and shake vigorously to combine.
Carefully break the lettuce leaves into individual cups.
Toss the coleslaw with the fennel and half the mango. Drizzle over a couple of spoonfuls of the dressing. Spoon onto the lettuce cups and arrange mango slices on top.
Place the remaining dressing in a bowl.
Garnish with sesame seeds and fresh coriander. Serve immediately with the extra dressing on the side.
Mango and calamari tacos
Serves: 4
Ingredients
250g crumbed calamari or other filling (leftover roast meats, chicken breasts or battered fish)
4 wholewheat tacos or wraps
2 large ripe mangoes, peeled, stoned and diced
1 small red onion, finely chopped
1 green chilli, deseeded and chopped (optional)
½ bunch coriander, washed and chopped
½ iceberg lettuce, washed and shredded
6 spring onions, thinly sliced
Mayonnaise, to drizzle
Lemon or lime wedges, to serve
Method
Cook the calamari according to the instructions on the packet. While the calamari is cooking, heat a non-stick frying pan over medium heat and toast the wraps until lightly golden.
Mix the diced mango, red onion, chilli, and coriander together.
To serve, layer the iceberg lettuce into each taco, top with calamari, and a big spoonful of mango salad. Finally, add spring onion and a drizzle of mayonnaise and serve with wedges of lemon or lime.
Mango, yoghurt and muesli popsicles
Serves: 6
Ingredients
2 large ripe mangoes, peeled and stoned
½ lemon
250ml plain yoghurt
125ml muesli or granola of your choice
Method
Place the mangoes with a squeeze of lemon in the blender and whizz to a smooth purée.
To assemble: place spoonfuls of mango purée into popsicle moulds, alternating with yoghurt. Leave a 2-3cm gap at the top for the muesli.
Fill with muesli and pat down gently and push a wooden ice-cream stick into each mould. Freeze for 8 hours or overnight.
To serve, remove from mould and enjoy.