Mango treats for summer

• Mango fiesta

   

    

• Mango fiesta

Wouldn't you look at a person incredulously if he or she declares a dislike for mango? Wouldn't you say, "What, unbelievable!" Well, mango has its fans that go to any lengths to enjoy the fruit of the season in some amazing ways. And then mangoes have this other following, who will take the fruit for granted and eat their way through as if it is just a fruit.

 

Mango is a fruit... the 'King' of fruits. This year, the prices are high (were high last year too!). Well, I feel this year they are higher! So how does one enjoy the fruit to the maximum, with all the mango delights being churned out from the kitchen, the fridge and the freezer?First of all, decide which dessert you are trying out. I thoroughly enjoy making and serving ice creams, kulfis, mousses and sorbets. One good thing about desserts is that they help you stretch out two or three fruits for the whole family and more! Now that is a chef's secret!

 

The best thing about summers is the fact that mangoes are the 'it fruit' of the season.

And because they are in such demand during this time, that most regions have specialised recipes for not just desserts, but also for main courses. It’s amazing how we can obsess over the fruit in its small seasonal longevity.

 

 

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  So begin the long ensuing summer mango festivals that are ensuing in all major desi-fared restaurants throughout the city. Rajdhani, the authentic Rajasthani gourmet eatery is adding a whole new mango menu as part of their ongoing mango festival on till the end of May.
  In addition to their gloriously wholesome thali are additions, which include aam ras, aam panna, mango lassi and mango milkshake in their drink menu.
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  The main dishes that have made to the special mango festival thali include mango shrikhan, mango savviyan, mango chutney, Chunda (sweet mango pickle) and a signature special Rajdhani recipe called Aam Launji.

Specially prepared by their in house chef, Neti Singh Maharaj, this exotic Jodhpuri dish is a traditional summer vegetable preparation that is essentially made of raw mango, jaggery and various spices.

 

Rajdhani, made it its endeavour to serve something interesting in their thali of mango – that wasn’t available anywhere else. Enjoy the fare and pay a desi thali a visit.

Mango sabzi spread
While the Mango festival at Rajdhani invites you with its exotic Aam Launji, we give you a host of other must-try recipes.

Mangai Vepampoo Pachadi
Popular in South India, this fairly easy dish to make is a must for April, when the mangoes are still raw.

Ingredients:
1 raw mango 

3 sliced green chillies

1/2 tsp crushed jaggery 

1/2 tsp mustard seeds

1 tsp vepampoo

1 tsp oil n 4-5 curry leaves

coriander leaves & salt to taste

Method:
Chop the mango into big cubes. Boil the mango cubes with green chillies and salt for seven to eight minutes until cooked. Add the jaggery, stir well and heat for a couple of minutes. Heat oil in a pan, add the mustard seeds and vepampoo, sauté until it splutters. Add the sauteed ingredients to the mango mixture and mix well. Garnish with curry leaves and coriander leaves.

 

(Vepampoo is the tender flower of the neem tree, they are whitish, slightly bitter to taste but have amazing medicinal value).