Don’t expect mangoes if you plant papayas is an adage that underlines how a tree is not supposed to bear fruit anything less than the king. The humble aam has ruled every Indian heart for centuries now. The Mughals’ obsession with the mango left us with a rich legacy of specially crafted fruit — Murshidabadi, Amrapali, Kesar and Chausa. Indeed, the divine aroma and taste of mango has our chefs bewitched, too, summer after summer. And since it is the king, any dish less than excellent pales its legacy. Like every season, this year, too, chefs are handling it with kid gloves to bring on the table, dishes that honour the exotic mango.
With an aam on top...
Taking the cake is Sanjay Kumar, executive chef at Rodeo Cantina and Kitchen, who is using mango in salsas, cocktails and even desserts. The highlight this time are their special desserts — Mango Tres Leche, which is an authentic Tres Leche with a mango twist and Mango Del Toro, a sinful concoction of fresh caramelised mango chunks with vanilla ice cream. For the ones who love to relish the heavenly sweetness with a swig or two, Mango Tequila is a classic combo of tequila, mango and fresh lime juice. Kumar also has Mango Michelada and mango-based tequila shooters for puritans of both the things. Hyatt Regency, on the other hand, has given a golden yellow twist to the classic French delicacy with Mango Crème Brûlée. Devender Bungla, corporate pastry chef at Hyatt Regency says, “This silky dessert combines fresh cream and sweet mango puree for an easy, bright and refreshing summery dish. The caramelised topping adds richness and deliciousness to this unique mango.” While L’Opera, the patisserie, has also created two new tantalising mango pastries, made with light flaky pastry and fresh fruit. “Mango and pastry cream may not be one of the oldest tricks in the book,” says Laurent Samandari, co-founder and managing director. “But the sweet and tropical taste of mango combined with the crunchy, buttery taste of the tart base, is the best way to beat the heat.” Their mango basil mousse is a gracious treat for lovers of this seasonal treat. “We are celebrating the delightful fruit in the most French way possible — as mousse,” says Laurent. “I think the taste of mango coalesces beautifully with basil, adding a touch of fragrant seasoning to an already sumptuous indulgence.”
Mango — the manna from heaven
And if that’s not enough, there’s also Mango Snowball by Decode — Social Dining in Rajouri Garden that has made this summer special. According to Piyush Jain, chef and co-owner, it is a melange of mango and white chocolate. “When we talk about Indian dessert in summers, only kulfi comes to our mind. We made this dessert, which is inspired by kulfi and presented as a mango-flavoured snowball, and served with golden nut dust. And if you want something sweet and spicy, there’s Molecule Air Bar in Gurgaon, who has craftily combined the explosive wasabi with the manna from heaven in Mango Mousse with White Chocolate Paint and Golden Macadamia Nuts flavoured with Wasabi Cream Cheese. Chef Anas feels that this dish commands the perfect balance of sweet and spicy. “The creamy mango mousse blends into your taste buds with the right hint of wasabi, which is orgasmic to say the least. Macadamia nuts break the monotony, while white chocolate paint sprinkles the right amount of perfection needed to complete the dish. They also have Molten Mango Mousse, which is best described in Anas’ words,“Imagine me pouring your favorite cocktail on your dessert! That’s what happens here when the warm screwdriver reduction is poured over a dark chocolate shell filled with a creamy mango mousse. Pure bliss.” The restaurant has also experimented with simple mango popsicle. It is frozen chuski with Mango, crushed ice, vanilla and Molecule’s in-house syrup.
Gorge on aam golgappas
A finger-licking combination of white chocolate mousse and mango compotè topped with fresh Alphonso mango and banana, nuts pomegranate and choco chip await diners at Too Indian. They also have an aam version of golgappas — all-time favourite crispy semolina puffs filled with fresh mango cuts and cream. You can also try their sorbet made with mango and lime. Chef Kumar explains why aam is so khaas. “Nutritionists and health experts call mango the king of fruits as apart from the unmatchable taste, it also has a lot of health benefits. Its diversity in taste makes for perfect desserts and cocktails,” he concludes.
MANGO CRÈME BRÛLÉE
Ingredients
- 250 gms Milk (full cream)
- 374 gms Amul cream
- 250 kg Mango puree
- 100 gms Sugar
- 12 Egg yolks
Method
Mix all ingredients together in a steal pot. Cook on slow fire, till the sugar dissolves. Clear the froth, and put the mixture in a small butter dish. Bake at 160 degrees celicus or 25 to 30 minutes on water bath. Don’t bake it in an oven. Remove from the oven and let it cool down. Sprinkle sugar over the crème brûlée and fire with a gas torch till caramelised. Serve.
Recipe courtesy: Chef Devendra Bungla, Hyatt Regency
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