It is that glorious time of the year when one can unabashedly pig out on mangoes – think tangerine juice dribbling down the chin and getting smeared all over the face in a sloppy but delicious mess – and nobody bats an eyelid. But while those ripe, sweet slices are plenty divine on their own, why limit yourself to just one version of the season’s highlight? If you would like to explore newer ways of indulging in the king of fruits, here is a definitive list for you, of a variety of innovative dishes featuring the mango in Pune.
The Flour Works has come up with a spanking new summer menu offering an array of mango-incorporated preparations. You can start off with the beautifully flavourful curried chicken and mango salad, which is a colourful combination of tasty slivers of chicken with lettuce, bits of almonds and, of course, soft chunks of fresh mango. Sweet and spicy; tender and crunchy – the salad offers interesting textural contrasts with multiple bursts of flavours. Or there are others that marry the mango with spinach and shrimps, or cherry tomatoes, rucola and feta! For mains, try their corn shortbread with ham and mango salsa, which is as scrumptious in reality as it is ingenious on paper, rounding things off with a mango panna cotta or a mango pavlova.
Similarly, Malaka Spice is doing a lovely, fruity, Indonesian-style salad for their summer menu, which has fresh pieces of tropical fruits such as mango, pineapple and carambola tossed together in a tangy dressing. Or then Syrakko’s highly creative menu includes a mellow coastal prawn curry that comes accompanied by a cold mango-jalapeño curd rice that is sweet and sour, with the slightest hint of sharpness lent by the pepper that goes perfectly with the velvety, mildly spiced curry.
Chilis gives the royal fruit a Mexican twist in its mango-Chile basa, which has the fish seasoned with a six-pepper blend, drizzled with spicy habanero mango glaze and topped with chopped mango, cilantro, pico de gallo and diced avocados – it comes served with rice and steamed veggies. At the United Sports Bar & Grill, the mango integration is subtle – the mango pinwheel delight here comprises stuffed mushrooms with dollops of mango-infused mayonnaise.
Meanwhile, Rajdhani Thali finally launched their annual mango festival, ‘Aamlicious’, which, with its staggering array of mango specialties, epitomises the versatility of the mango. The selection includes a refreshing mango raita, mango kofta pulao, malabari mango kadhi, mango pachadi, and hot mango jalebis to nurse your sweet tooth with, in the end.
Over at The Waffles Hut, you can dig into a fluffy waffle laden with whipped cream and fresh mango lumps. Elsewhere, at Mad Over Donuts, you can scarf down a yummy mango pulp fiction donut which brings together mango pulp buttercream and white chocolate as a combined topping. Also do not miss out on the ‘circle of perfection’ option that has heavenly mango mousse dipped into milk chocolate and served atop a spongy donut.
At Way Down South, you get a mango dosa topped with fresh cream and some sinful aamras, besides which the dosa itself also has fresh mango pulp mixed into its batter, making it a perfectly summery rendition of the beloved South Indian delicacy with a clash of sweet and savoury flavours that together make for a decadent outcome.
If you are looking for a mango dessert beyond the ubiquitous pairing of the fruit with vanilla ice cream, try the mango meringue mess at The K Factory, where it comes tossed with fresh cream meringue, aamras, a stunning mango-lime sorbet and aam papdi – some serious culinary flair displayed here that is as pleasing to the taste buds as to the ears. Or, if you want to beat the summer heat with a mango-esque thirst quencher, Cafe 221B has newly introduced a mango smoothie to their tiny menu that is rich, creamy and redolent with the irresistible aroma and pulpy goodness of fresh mangoes.
We at Eazydiner feel privileged to have worked with someone like Mrunmayi who was an independent writer with over five years of experience in arts and lifestyle journalism. She had worked with several print and online publications based out of Pune and Goa. In the realm of food, she had contributed reviews, topical stories and long features primarily to Pune Mirror, The Goan, Planet-Goa, and the website goa.me. A foodie with an eclectic taste, she enjoyed a well-prepared spread of English Breakfast as much as some fiery Kolhapuri mutton curry.
