A mango is more than a fruit; it is a fruit with a vibe – and they are in season right now.
The harvesting season runs from December to the end of April, which means you can find your favourite mangoes on supermarket shelves right through the summer months.
Mangoes are many people’s favourite exotic summer fruit, with over 1 000 varieties known worldwide.
South Africa grows 15 mango varieties, mostly in the sub-tropical regions of Limpopo, Mpumalanga and KZN.
Mangoes are good for you as they are high in vitamins A and C, as well as biotin and potassium.
They can also be used to make delicious dishes.
Listed below are two must-try recipes for you to delve into this summer.
Grilled cauliflower steaks, crispy chickpeas and mango salad (serves 4)
Preparation time: 40 minutes
Ingredients
· 1 cauliflower head, thickly sliced
· ½ cup extra virgin olive oil
· Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
· 1 tin chickpeas, drained and rinsed
· 1 mango, sliced
· 1 red chilli, seeded and sliced
· 60g shelled almonds, toasted
· ½ cup fresh mint leaves
· 1 lemon, quartered to serve
Dressing:
· ½ cup thick Greek-style yoghurt
· 1 garlic clove, crushed
· ½ red onion, minced
· 2 tablespoons fresh parsley, chopped
Method:
1. Preheat the oven to 180°C and line a baking tray with baking paper.
2. Brush the cauliflower slices with a little olive oil and season well. Place on the prepared baking tray and bake until charred and cooked. Set aside to cool.
3. In the meantime, place the chickpeas on another lined baking tray and drizzle with a little olive oil and season well. Roast until crispy. Remove and set aside.
4. To make the dressing, mix all the ingredients well together.
5. To assemble the salad, place the cauliflower into a serving dish and top with the rest of the salad ingredients. Drizzle with the dressing and serve.
Vanilla cake with mango curd
Preparation time: 50 minutes
Ingredients
For the mango curd
· 1 large fresh mango, cubed
· ½ cup white sugar
· Juice of 1 lemon
· 3 large eggs
· 6 tablespoons unsalted butter, cubed
For the cake
· 250g unsalted butter, at room temperature
· 1 tablespoon vanilla essence
· 1 cup castor sugar
. 4 large eggs
· 3 cups self-raising flour
· ¾ cup milk
Method:
1. For the curd, place the mango in a food processor and process until smooth. Add the sugar and lemon juice and continue to process until completely smooth.
2. Whisk the puree and the eggs together and pour into a pot. Cook over medium heat, stirring continuously for a few minutes. Next add the butter and cook until the mixture is thick enough to coat the back of a wooden spoon. Pour the curd through a fine sieve into a mixing bowl and cover with plastic wrap pressing the plastic onto the curd to prevent a skin from forming. Cool the curd before refrigerating for about 2 hours or overnight.
3. In the meantime, prepare the cake, beat the butter with the vanilla until light and creamy, add the sugar and beat until light and fluffy. Add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. Add half of the flour and half of the milk and stir to combine. Add the remaining flour and milk and beat lightly until the mixture is smooth. Divide between 2 x 17cm cake tins and bake until cooked for about 30 – 40 minutes. Remove and set aside to cool before inverting the cakes onto a cooling rack to cool completely before applying the curd.
4. To assemble the cake, spread with a little curd between the layers and sandwich together. Pour the remaining curd over the cake and decorate as desired.
