Dont scoff all those sweet, juicy, ripe mangoes the moment you get them in the house. Save some for cooking with you wont regret it
The sight of boxes of alphonso and sindhri mangoes piled up outside my local Lebanese grocer is a sure sign that summer is at last arriving. Unlike those hard, green mangoes you find in supermarkets all year round, these ones are sweet, fragrant and so irresistibly juicy that they need to be cut open and devoured in close proximity to a tap (or stream), for cleaning sticky hands and chin afterwards. Although these mangoes are wonderful for breakfast or in salads, they also make a glorious and simple chutney for eating over the summer with onion bhajis, barbecued chicken or grilled fish. Pudding-wise, I look to Mexico for inspiration (well, of course I do), where rice pudding is not the hot, cold-weather dish we know here, but a light, chilled pudding scented with vanilla and citrus. Its the perfect pudding for a sunny day.
Flattened tandoori chicken thighs with mango relish
The relish is quick to make and is lovely with this spiced chicken, which can be cooked under the grill or on the barbecue, depending on the weather. Serves four.
8 skinless and boneless chicken thighs
3 garlic cloves, peeled and roughly chopped
small thumb-sized piece fresh ginger, peeled and roughly chopped
1 small red chilli, roughly chopped
tsp turmeric powder
2 tsp garam masala
1 tsp paprika
150g natural yoghurt
For the mango relish
150g soft brown sugar
150ml white-wine vinegar
1 star anise
red onion, peeled and very finely chopped
2 garlic cloves, peeled and very finely chopped
1 thumb-sized piece fresh ginger, peeled and finely chopped
1 tsp black mustard seeds
1 red chilli, finely chopped
3-4 ripe, sweet mangoes, stoned, peeled and roughly chopped
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
First prepare the chicken. Put each thigh between two sheets of clingfilm and flatten by bashing with a rolling pin until its roughly 1cm thick. Put the flattened, tenderised chicken in a bowl. In a pestle and mortar, bash the garlic, ginger and chilli to a rough paste, then add to the bowl with the remaining chicken ingredients, rubbing in the marinade so the meat is coated. Refrigerate while while you make the relish.
Put the sugar and vinegar in a saucepan on a medium-low heat, bring to a boil and, once the sugar has dissolved, stir in all the other ingredients and add a good pinch each of salt and pepper. Leave to simmer for 25-30 minutes, until the liquid has reduced, then take off the heat, adjust the seasoning to taste, then set aside to cool.
Heat the grill (or barbecue). Season the chicken all over, then lay on a rack set over an oven tray. Grill for 10-12 minutes, turning it halfway through. When the chicken is brown at the edges and cooked though (check by cutting into a thigh: if the juices run clear, its done), transfer to plates and serve with the relish alongside. To bulk it up into a full meal, add a light cucumber salad and/or a cardamom rice salad with flaked almonds and dried apricots.
Chilled coconut jasmine rice pudding with alphonso mango
Wholegrain jasmine rice has a gorgeous nuttiness, but use white jasmine if need be. Coconut sugar is now widely available in delis, healthfood shops and online, and has wonderful butterscotch notes, but soft brown sugar will work if you cant find any. Serves four to six.
150g Thai jasmine wholegrain rice
25g coconut sugar
30g caster sugar
400g tin coconut milk, plus one tins worth of cold water
tsp vanilla extract
1 tsp orange blossom water (optional)
Juice and zest of 2 limes
1-2 handfuls unsweetened flaked coconut
2 alphonso mangoes
100-150ml coconut (or Greek) yoghurt
Heat the oven to 150C/300F/gas mark 2. In a 500ml ovenproof dish, mix the rice, sugars, coconut milk, water, vanilla, orange blossom water (if using) and lime zest. Stir in a tablespoon of lime juice, then bake for about 90 minutes, until the rice has absorbed most of the liquid but is still moist; give it a stir every half-hour or so. Check the grains: they should be plump and tender. If they are not, bake for 15 minutes longer, or until cooked. Meanwhile, spread the flaked coconut in a baking tray and toast in the same oven until pale gold all over.
Once the rice is cooked, remove the dish from the oven, leave to cool, then cover with clingfilm and chill in the fridge for at least two hours.
When youre ready to eat, peel, stone and dice the mango (it really doesnt matter if the pieces arent all a perfect, uniform size), then toss with the remaining lime juice. Stir the yoghurt through the pudding (youre aiming for a lovely, loose consistency that drops easily from the spoon, a bit like a wet risotto), then serve topped with the mangoes and toasted coconut.
And for the rest of the week
Indian and Pakistani mangoes have a relatively short season, so make the most of them while you can. They make fantastic sorbets, ice-creams and lassis, or eat them as they do in Mexico, in a simple fruit salad mixed with fresh lime juice and a sprinkling of blitzed dried chilli, lemon zest, sugar and salt. One of my favouite ways to serve the mango relish is to stuff a pitta with a simple, last-minute pea and potato curry and some crisp baby gem, all topped with a big spoonful of the chutney. With the rice pudding, you could cut down the sugar a little and add a few tablespoons of chia seeds that would also make a beautiful, nutritious and unusual breakfast. Leftover coconut flakes can be toasted and added to muesli for a sweet, nutty touch.
Read more: www.theguardian.com
