Tango with mangoes

There are countless ways to savour this delectable fruit, whether it is in a smoothie, heaped high on pancakes or oatmeal, stuffed in a taco, added to a salad or grain bowl, or combined into a salsa, just enjoy its versatility, writes Anu Abraham

The “king of all fruits” title belongs to a fruit that has been grown for more than 5,000 years in the Indo-Burma region and possesses an exceptional nutritional profile. Around 300 AD, the first mangoes made their way from Asia to the Middle East, Africa, and South America. Mangoes come in roughly 1,500 different types in India with every cultivar having a distinctive flavour and taste.

(The writer is the author of the cookbook Manna: Your Guide to Indian & Continental Cooking which is a result of her culinary journey during which she documented some of the most sought-after heritage recipes of India and elsewhere.)

A zinger of a cake

This mango cheesecake is a must in summer every year. When we visit our mother in Chennai, we use mangoes grown in her backyard to bake this cheesecake.

Ingredients

Layer 1 (Base)
Digestive biscuits: 120 grams (crushed)
Melted butter: 80 grams
Layer 2 (Cheesecake)
Mango puree: 190 grams
Sugar: 1 tablespoon (To be used with mango)
Cream cheese: 100 grams
Condensed milk: 200 grams
Whipping cream: 100 ml
Mango essence: ½ tsp (Can use vanilla essence instead)
Sugar: ¾ tbsp (can add 1 tbsp if the mango is not too sweet)
Gelatin: 1.25 tablespoon
Water: ¼ cup (room
temperature)
Layer 3 (Glaze)
Mango puree: 200 grams
Sugar: ½ tablespoon
Gelatin: 1 tablespoon
Water: 2 tablespoons

Method

Grease a 9-inch springform pan with oil/butter. Add ingredients of layer one and ensure the biscuit mixture is well combined with the butter and looks like wet sand. Level the surface with the base of a bowl till it is even. Refrigerate till you are ready with the cheesecake filling. To prepare cheesecake, place a steel bowl with the whisk in the freezer to cool. Puree mango slices (390 grams) and transfer to a heavy bottom pan with sugar. Cook the mixture till it is thick. Set aside to cool. Sprinkle gelatin in ¼ cup water and set aside to bloom for 5 minutes. Then microwave it for 30 seconds or till the gelatin is completely melted. Allow cooling to get a clear solution. In a blender add cream cheese and condensed milk. Pulse till you get a smooth mixture. Set aside 200 grams for the glaze and mix the remaining into the cream cheese mixture. Remove the bowl with the whisk from the freezer and pour the whipping cream along with sugar and vanilla essence. Whisk till you get stiff peaks. To this mixture fold, gently add two big scoops of the cream cheese mixture. Once it’s well-blended, add the entire cream cheese mixture along with the clear gelatin mixture and mix well. Remove ¼ of this cheesecake mixture into a piping bag and set aside for use later. Remove the springform pan and pour the prepared cheesecake mixture evenly. Clingwrap the top of the pan and refrigerate till you prepare the glaze. To prepare the glaze bloom the gelatin the same way and make the clear liquid. Add the cooked mango puree we set aside earlier. Remove the springform and pour this glaze on it. Use the cheesecake mixture and pipe dots on the glaze. With a toothpick make a pattern and cling-wrap it once again. Refrigerate for 8-9 hours and enjoy a delicious treat.

(Recipe courtesy Binu Singh.)

One ingredient, one recipe

This column celebrates food and explores the possibility of forming an invisible chain that will bind us together as a family. Please share your recipe and story in 300 words with “Food Family: Love” mentioned in the subject line to [e-mail] by April 24.