The king of fruits has arrived! For many, one bite of the sweet, tangy mango brings back memories of hands sticky with pulp, and a rich aroma filling the air during the summer season. Mangoes, in their simplest form, carry a sense of nostalgia.
Since it’s finally mango season, chefs tell us about their fondest memories involving this seasonal delight and how they’re experimenting to put an innovative twist on the summer classic.
Grandmum’s pro tip for storing aam
Chef Manish Mehrotra tells us, “My personal favourite is Dudhiya Malda, that is native to Bihar. The flavour, texture and fragrance — everything adds to its ability to entice.”
What’s a childhood memory that stands out for him? “I remember when my grandmother used to store all the aam in racks and shelves, wrapping them neatly in newspapers,” he shares, adding, “She used to follow the FIFO technique — First-in, First out. Whatever arrived first was to be used first, to prevent decay and wastage.”
Ask what could, in his opinion, become the next big mango trend in the culinary world and Manish replies, “People have already explored the possibilities of mango tiramisu, pastries, mousse and custards. However, any preparation that celebrates the flavours and authenticity of the fruit has a chance at becoming the next big trend.”
A mix of sweet and savoury
“Malda and Langda are two varieties that take me back to my childhood when we used to wait impatiently for the season’s aam,” recalls chef Sadaf Hussain, adding, “Now, I would love to spend one summer in Bengaluru and Andhra Pradesh to try their Malguba variant.”
He tells us about his favourite mango creation: "Back in 2018, I tried to challenge myself. Usually, we cook dishes according to the taste of the fruit. So the challenge was to make a savoury dish out of a sweet mango. So I added spices and made it turn into a kadhi.” Sadaf shares, “It was an evolved version of both Punjabi and Gujarati kadhi, as in place of pakode, I chose to add mangoes and apples. Customers were both impressed and taken aback by the taste; they were super curious about the ingredients!”
A hero ingredient: From samosas and curries to kombucha!
“I am very emotional about both ripe and raw forms of mango. My siblings and I used to be very naughty and steal mangoes from the neighbourhood trees! And those moments and the taste were far better than buying them today!” reminisces chef Nishant Chaubey.
For Nishant, this summer delight is a hero ingredient: “Mango is very versatile. One can derive an entire menu — from amuse-bouche to dessert — with it. From mango samosa and pav bhaji to mango fish curry, mango-stuffed chicken, gulab jamun, grilled mango, there are so many ways to play around with this fruit.”
Is there a mango trend he thinks might become popular this summer? “I see mangoes being fermented more. I think we can expect mango kombucha to be the next big drink world wide,” he replies.
Not just a fruit, but an emotion
“Growing up in India, mangoes weren’t a luxury, they were life. Then, I moved to America, away from mango season,” shares chef Suvir Saran. He continues, “There I tasted mangoes from Thailand, Mexico, and Central America. But nothing came close to the Indian mango. That’s when I realised: mangoes aren’t just any fruit. They are an emotion.”
Now, back in India, does he have a mango dish he swears by? “I live in Mumbai and every day, I pass Haji Ali Juice Centre. Every so often, I stop for a bowl of their mango fruit cream. It’s indulgent, but also sacred. There’s something reverential about cream swirled around cubes of perfect mango. If there’s heaven on earth, I think I’ve found it in that bowl!” he says.
By Rajlekha Roy Burman