The flavour and aroma of mangoes just scream summer! And while the holidays may be over, the summer vibe lives on with mangoes in season until April.
Use the time to shake up your mango menu. They’re unbeatable on their own, in smoothies and desserts, but they’re also beautiful with so many savoury foods!
When it comes to meats and fish, which pair well with mango you ask? All of them! As do all crunchy vegetables, fresh and dried chilies, and soft herbs like parsley, basil, and mint.
If you’re new to the savoury mango scene, start with a fresh salsa – it will change the way you eat your braai meat forever! Small cubes of fresh mango, tomato, cucumber, corn, red onion, coriander or parsley, fresh chilli, you name it. Then a squeeze of lemon or lime and a splash of olive oil, salt and you’ve made mango magic!
Mangoes also love to be baked – with chicken, with fish, even with feta and lentils. Their balance of sweetness and acidity, together with that can’t-be-substituted mango flavour, makes them a winner with grills, in stir-fries and salads like our Mango, Tomato, Chicken and Red Onion Salad; as well as cherished family recipes like curry and Frozen Mango and Yoghurt Dessert, and more adventurous takes from around the world – think Mango and Lime Sticky Chicken Wings or soft pork belly slow-roasted with mango, garlic, and onion for tacos and sliders.
Not only do mangoes add amazing flavour to your food, but they are also high in vitamins A, C, and biotin, and the mineral potassium. This special summer fruit is also a source of vitamins B1 and B6, and they’re free from fat, sodium, and cholesterol.
Right now, the mangoes you’ll find have skins that are yellow or green – that’s right, they’re perfectly ripe while still gloriously green! Kent, Keitt, Sensation, and Heidi are the late season varieties, with Kent being medium to large green gems, with fruit that is firm and fibreless. Keitt takes a slight apricot blush to its viridity and has a mild flavour. Sensation tempers its mostly green hue with shades of purple and red and is one of the fabulously juicy varieties.
But Heidi mangoes are like the ones you may be most used to – yellow and red, large, heart-shaped, sweet, and packed with that unique mango aroma.
So, sweet or savory, it’s always unmistakably mango season…Mmmmm Mangoes!
Mango, tomato chicken and red onion salad
Serves 4
Preparation time: 30 minutes
Ingredients
For the salad
- 6 leaves cos lettuce, chopped
- 1 cup baby spinach
- 1 ripe mango, diced
- 1 punnet cherry tomatoes, halved
- ½ cucumber, sliced
- ½ red onion, thinly sliced
- ¼ cup fresh coriander, finely chopped
- 4 chicken breasts, diagonally sliced and grilled
For the dressing
- ½ cup extra virgin olive oil
- Juice of 1 lemon
- 2 tablespoons runny honey
- 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
- 1 garlic clove, minced
- Pinch of sea salt flakes, or to taste
- Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
Method:
Arrange the salad ingredients into four serving dishes and top with the grilled chicken breast.
To make the dressing, whisk together all the ingredients and adjust the seasoning accordingly. Drizzle over the salad and serve.
Mango and lime sticky chicken wings
Serves 4
Preparation time: 40 – 50 minutes
Ingredients
- 12 chicken wings
- 2 tablespoons cooking oil
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
- 1 cup mango chutney
- 1 red chilli, seed and sliced
- 1 fresh mango, cubed
- 1 punnet coriander leaves, chopped
- 1 lime, cut into wedges
Method:
Preheat the oven to 180°C.
Put the chicken into a large mixing bowl, drizzle with the oil, and season well. Cook until the wings are golden brown.
Toss the wings with the chutney to coat well and continue to cook for a few more minutes.
Serve the wings on a serving platter topped with the chilli, fresh mango, coriander, and lime wedges.
For mango facts and recipes visit mango.co.za like us on Facebook SAMangoes and follow our Instagram page MangoesSA
