Three recipes to try with versatile 'king of fruits'

One of my favourite things about summer is mangoes. What a versatile produce. When they’re green you can pickle them or make them into atchar.

When they’re nice and golden they can be enjoyed juiced, in desserts, salads and with meat. Tommy Atkins mangoes are popular due to their medium to large size and sunset orange-red colouring. You can pick up Tommy Atkins mangoes well into January. In the late summer, Kent and Keitt mangoes are your best bet. Both these varieties are available from February to early April.

Although green-skinned (even when ripe and ready to eat), these mangoes boast firm, fibreless, fragrant flesh with a super sweet flavour. Mangoes are known to be the “king of fruits” and I don’t disagree. If you, like me, love this golden fruit, look no further than this page because the folks over at SA Mangoes have supplied us with a variety of mango recipes for you to put this fruit to the test.

Quick mango chicken with peas, lime and coriander

Serves 4

Preparation time: 40 minutes

Ingredients:

• 30ml (2 tbsp) extra virgin olive oil
• 1onion, sliced
• 4garlic cloves, sliced
• 15ml (1 tbsp) mustard seeds
• 15ml (1 tbsp) cumin seeds
• 10ml (2 tsp) ground ginger
• 1 x 400g tin Italian chopped tomatoes in tomato juice
• 250g dry green split peas
• 625ml (2 ½ cups) cold water
• ½ mango, peeled, pitted, chopped, and pureed
• 45 ml (3 tbsp) runny honey
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
• 4 chicken breasts, boneless and skin on (980 g)
• 45ml (3 tbsp) plain Greek-style yoghurt
• ½ mango, peeled, pitted, and sliced
• 15ml (1 tbsp) fresh coriander, leaves only to serve
• 1 small lime, cut into wedges, to serve

Method

1. Heat the oil in a large saucepan and sauté the onions and garlic for a few seconds.
2. Stir in the seeds and ginger and continue to cook for two minutes.
3. Next add the tomatoes, split peas, and cold water. Bring to a boil then reduce the heat and simmer until the split peas are soft, stirring occasionally.
4. Add the mango purée, honey, and season to taste.
5. Put the chicken in a mixing bowl, add the yoghurt and stir to combine.
6. Heat a griddle pan to hot and grill the chicken until cooked through. Once cooked set aside to rest before serving. In the same griddle pan, char grill the mango slices until cooked through.
7. Slice the chicken and serve with the split peas, topped with the chargrilled mango, coriander, and lime wedges.

Cookies topped with mango-mascarpone

Makes approximately 18 biscuits

Preparation time: 40 minutes

Ingredients:

• 100g jungle oats
• 125g almond flour
• 50g cake flour
• 150g castor sugar
• Pinch of salt
• 80ml (1/3 cup) canola oil
• 30ml (2 tbsp) runny honey
• 15ml (1 tbsp) vanilla extract
• 5ml (1 tsp) bicarbonate of soda
• 30ml (2 tbsp) boiling water

For the topping

• 80g fresh mango, peeled, pitted, and puréed
• 125g mascarpone cheese or cream cheese

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 170°C and line two baking trays with baking paper and set aside.
2. In a mixing bowl, mix the oats, flours, 100g of the sugar and salt.
3. Place the oil, honey and vanilla in a saucepan and gently heat through.
4. Place the bicarbonate of soda and boiling water in a small mixing bowl and stir until combined. Pour into the oil mixture, and gently stir, don’t be alarmed as it will froth up. Pour the mixture over the oat mixture and mix well to combine.
5. Roll small amounts of the dough into 30g walnut-size balls and place spaced out on the prepared baking trays, use the palm of your hand to slightly flatten. Bake for about 8-10 minutes.
6. Carefully transfer the biscuits to a cooling rack and leave to cool completely, the biscuits might seem soft but as they cool down, they will harden. At this stage you can store the biscuits in an airtight container until you are ready to serve them. You may store for up to a week.
7. Once the biscuits are cooled and ready to serve, mix the mango purée, mascarpone and remaining castor sugar well together and spread over the biscuits with a spoon. You may pre-prepare the mango mascarpone and store in the fridge in an airtight container for up to a week.

Frozen mango and lime margaritas

Serves 2-4

Preparation time: 10 minutes

Ingredients:

• 50g sugar
• 1 lime, halved
• 1 mango, peeled, pitted, and chopped
• 60ml (¼ cup) fresh lime juice
• 125ml (½ cup) tequila
• 60ml (¼ cup) triple sec
• 30ml (2 tbsp) runny honey
• Ice cubes
• Fresh mint, to serve

Method

• Place the sugar in a small saucepan. Wet the rim of the serving glasses with the lime, then dip the rim into the sugar to coat and set aside.
• Place the mango, lime juice, tequila, triple sec and honey into a blender and purée until smooth.
• Add the ice and continue to blend until you achieve your desired thickness, pour into prepared glasses, and garnish with the mint and serve immediately.