Mangoes aren’t usually the first thing you see in the fresh produce department. They’re usually hidden, beside the plantains or some other tropical fruit.
I’ve been on and off of mango kicks for years. I used to buy them every time I went to the store, so I’d always have a ripe one on hand, ready to eat. I’ve added them to salads and smoothies, and eaten them just as they are, sliced and with a squeeze of lime, nothing fancy required. Then I just stopped making smoothies and stopped buying mangoes and I don’t even know why. I wish I could tell you.
The good news for lapsed mango lovers like me? While they’re most abundant and easy to find in the summertime, some variety of mango is available in Dallas grocery stores year-round. To celebrate my mango reboot, I talked to a few Dallas chefs and restaurant owners about what they like to make.
Meso Maya’s executive chef Nico Sanchez had mango trees growing in his front yard in Guanajuato, Mexico, where he grew up, so he ate them all the time, from their raw, tart state to when they’re more ripe and sugary.
“Baby mangoes, green mangoes, you just peel them with a potato peeler and toss them in a bowl with fresh lime juice, chile powder and salt, and add cucumber, watermelon and jicama to that, too,” he says. “Or make an agua fresca with ripe mango. It’s just the puréed fruit mixed with a little water.”
Because mangoes are familiar to him, he uses them a lot in the Meso Maya menus. There’s a mango-strawberry margarita, and mango is usually added to their ceviche. On the permanent menu, he came up with a recipe for a Kale Verde Salad with a Mango Vinaigrette, that pairs the sweetness of ripe mango with the acidic bite of two types of vinegar.
“They’re very unique,” he says. “Mango doesn’t have a strong flavor. It’s mild in taste and has a nice texture ― and they’re never too expensive.”
Pardeep Sharma, owner of India Palace in Addison, says that mango has always been part of seasonal eating in India, but in his Dallas restaurant he uses them throughout the year. His mango pickle and mango chutney are always on the menu, along with a mango lassi.
“Mango pickle is an acquired taste; it’s spicy and tart,” Sharma says. “We use the raw mango, which is sour, for that. For mango chutney, we use a sweeter one.”
The Iraqi sauce, amba, like the one found at Bilad Bakery in Richardson, is simply made with mango powder (which you can buy there) and water, mixed together ― or you can do what I did and buy the already mixed Amba Mango Sauce at Trader Joe’s. I’d never tried it before, and it was love at first fiery bite. I plan to use it in lieu of salsa when I make my next batch of tacos.
Meso Maya’s Kale Verde Salad
5 cups baby kale
1/4 cup diced mango
1/4 cup diced pineapple
1/4 cup sliced English cucumbers
1/4 cup diced avocado
2 tablespoons golden or black raisins
Half of an orange, peeled and sliced
2 to 3 tablespoons of Tangy Mango Vinaigrette Dressing (recipe follows)
Add all fresh ingredients to a mixing bowl, then add a few tablespoons of the vinaigrette and toss. Divide between two plates and serve.
Makes 2 servings.
Tangy Mango Vinaigrette Dressing: Whisk together 1/3 cup olive oil, 1/3 cup red wine vinegar, 1/4 cup rice wine vinegar, 3 tablespoons mild-tasting honey, such as clover, 3 tablespoons mango purée, and 1 teaspoon salt. Taste for seasonings. To make mango purée, peel and seed 1 fresh ripe mango and blend in the blender with 2 tablespoons of water. Purée until smooth, for just a few seconds. Makes 1 1/2 cups.
India Palace’s Mango Lassi
1 cup plain yogurt
1/2 cup milk
1 cup chopped very ripe mango
4 tablespoons sugar (or more or less to taste)
Pinch of turmeric for color
Dash of cardamom, optional
Add all ingredients except for cardamom to a blender and blend until smooth. For a milkshake consistency, add 1/2 cup of ice. Pour into a glass and garnish with cardamom, if using.
Makes 1 serving.
India Palace’s Mango Chutney
1 cup distilled white vinegar
2 cups brown or white sugar
6 cups mango, cut into 3/4-inch pieces
1 medium onion, chopped
1/2 cup golden raisins
1/2 cup fresh ginger, chopped
1 garlic clove, minced
1/4 teaspoon red chile flakes
Put the vinegar and sugar in a pot and bring to a boil. Stir until sugar is dissolved. Add the remaining ingredients, reduce heat to a simmer, and cook for 45 minutes to 1 hour. Pour into a jar and keep at room temperature.
Makes 1 cup.