Beat The Summer Heat With These Unique Mango Recipes: Ripe, Juicy, And Bursting With Flavor

Mango Sticky Rice

Mango Sticky Rice is a classic South East Asian dessert, made with short-grained, starchy, glutinous rice. Serve it with thick slices of the season's sweetest mangoes for a sublime dessert experience.

Serves 4

Ingredients:

• 1 cup sticky/glutinous/sushi rice*
• 200ml coconut milk
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1 tsp salt
• 2 ripe mangoes

Method:

1. Wash the sticky rice and soak it in water for a minimum of three to four hours.
2. Boil 1 cup of water in a pot with a tight lid. Add the drained rice and cook covered on low heat until the rice is tender and all the water has been absorbed. Set aside.
3. Meanwhile, bring the coconut milk, sugar, and salt to boil in a small saucepan. Cook on low heat for five minutes, stirring frequently until the sugar dissolves.
4. Pour about a cup of the coconut milk into a small cup or jug and set aside for serving.
5. Gently mix the remaining coconut milk into the cooked rice using a spatula. Keep stirring steadily until the rice absorbs most of the coconut milk. Cover and set aside to cool. Stir again.
6. Peel and slice the mango. Chill the mango if needed.
7. Serve scoops of the sticky coconut rice with the mango slices.

*Sticky rice is easily available online. If you are looking for an Indian rice alternative, ask your rice merchant for new rice that has not aged much. Follow the same measurement as above.

Mango Rolls with Peanut Dipping Sauce

These light, crunchy and refreshing Vietnamese rice paper rolls with the sweetness of fresh mango are a delight to eat in the summer, especially when it is too hot to cook!

Makes 8

Ingredients:

• 1 small European cucumber
• 1 small carrot
• 1 red bell pepper
• 1 ripe mango
• 2 lettuce leaves
• 8 basil leaves
• 8 rice papers*
• 1 tsp toasted sesame seeds

For the peanut chili dipping sauce:

• 1 cup peanut butter
• 1 tsp red chilli sauce
• 1 tsp soya sauce
• 1 clove garlic, crushed into a paste

Method:

1. Cut the cucumber, carrot, and bell pepper into thin strips.
2. Peel and slice the mango into thin, long strips.
3. Cut the lettuce leaves into eight rectangles.
4. Once all the filling ingredients are ready, fill a thali with water and spread out a clean kitchen napkin next to the thali.
5. Take a rice paper and dip it in the water for about 15-20 seconds. Remove the paper from the water and let the excess water drip away. Now lay the paper on the napkin.
6. Place 3-4 strips each of cucumber, carrot, red bell pepper, and mango horizontally in the center of the paper. Add a rectangular piece of lettuce and a basil leaf.
7. Now, fold in the far end of the rice paper onto the filling. Then fold in both the side flaps. Now turn the roll, keeping the filling tight inside. Place the roll on the serving platter.
8. Make the remaining rolls the same way.

To make the dipping sauce

1. Put the peanut butter in a small bowl and microwave for a few seconds to soften it. Mix in the chili and soya sauces and the garlic paste.
2. Stir in enough hot water to thin it into a dipping consistency.
3. Serve the rolls cold or at room temperature, along with the dipping sauce.

* Rice papers used for making Vietnamese rice paper rolls are available online and at specialty supermarkets.

Mango White Chocolate Mousse

Zesty mangoes and rich white chocolate come together in this divine dessert that is a real crowd-pleaser. This egg and gelatin-free recipe, with a short ingredient list, is very easy to put together as well.

Serves 4-6

Ingredients:

• 200ml whipping fresh cream (divided)
• 100g white chocolate, chopped fine
• 2/3 cup ripe mango puree
• 1/3 cup powdered sugar
• Cubes of mango for garnish, as needed

Method:

1. Put 50ml of the whipping cream in a glass bowl and microwave for 40 seconds. Add the chopped chocolate and stir well. Set aside for a minute and then stir until the chocolate has melted completely and the mixture is smooth. If there are lumps, you can microwave it on low power for a few seconds. Set aside to cool completely.
2. Pour the remaining cream into a mixing bowl. Whip this by using an electric beater or by whisking until the cream has thickened and soft peaks have formed.
3. Mix the mango puree and powdered sugar into the cooled chocolate mixture. You can mix with the beater for a few seconds to ensure it is well incorporated.
4. Gently fold the whipped cream into the chocolate-mango mixture.
5. Transfer the mousse to serving cups or a bowl. Chill for 2-3 hours. Garnish with cubes of mango, as desired.

Aam Pana

It's summer, so we decided to add a bonus recipe. Summer is incomplete if you do not relish the goodness of some fresh raw mango juice aka Aam Pana. The perfect summer drink that can protect you from dehydration.

Serves 2

Ingredients:

• 2 raw mangoes
• 3 tsp sugar
• 1 tsp cumin powder
• 1 tsp black salt
• 1 tsp pepper
• 1/2 cup mint leaves
• 2 cups water (for grinding)

For Garnishing 

• Two mint leaves
• A few ice cubes

Method:

• Peel the mangoes, core them, cut them into large chunks, and boil in 500 ml of water for 10 mins or until well-cooked, and then drain.
• Take out the mangoes and allow them to cool.
• Grind the mangoes with 2 cups of water and along with all the other ingredients. Taste and adjust salt/sugar to your preference. The consistency should be watery and juice-like. You can choose to pass it through a sieve or leave it as is.
• Serve with ice cubes and a fresh mint leaf on top, and enjoy!

Note: You can also peel, core the raw mango, and grind it along with other ingredients without cooking it.

Ruchira Ramanujam writes a popular food blog, tadkapasta.com, with her partner Ranjini.