Mango-up your meals

What epitomises summer more than eating a mango straight from its skin with all that sweet juice dripping down your arms!

Mangoes are everyone’s favourite exotic summer fruit, with over 1000 varieties known worldwide, and South Africans are lucky enough to have their own bountiful share of homegrown mangoes.

Delectable on their own, scrumptious in desserts and exotic in savoury dishes, in fact we can’t think of a meal that mangoes don’t improve. From spicy soups to salads and salsas, great with chicken and pork, perfect in pickles and preserves…the list goes on.

No wonder this tantalising tropical fruit is renowned the world over as the ‘king of fruits’ – a title earned centuries ago due to the mango’s popularity among princes of the east and the belief in ancient India that it was the food of the gods.

Mangoes are in season now until the start of autumn, so there’s no excuse not to get creative with ways to enjoy them all through summer and well into the change of season.

Let the Mmmmm…Mango flavour brighten up your everyday meals!

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QUICK MANGO CHICKEN WITH PEAS, LIME AND CORIANDER

Serves 4

Preparation time: 40 minutes

Ingredients:

• 30 ml (2 tbsp.) extra virgin olive oil
• 1 onion, sliced
• 4 garlic cloves, sliced
• 15 ml (1 tbsp.) mustard seeds
• 15 ml (1 tbsp.) cumin seeds
• 10 ml (2 tsp.) ground ginger
• 1 x 400 g tin Italian chopped tomatoes in tomato juice
• 250 g dry green split peas
• 625 ml (2 ½ cups) cold water
• ½ mango, peeled, pitted, chopped, and pureed
• 45 ml (3 tbsp.) runny honey
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
• 4 chicken breasts, boneless and skin on (980 g)
• 45 ml (3 tbsp.) plain Greek-style yoghurt
• ½ mango, peeled, pitted, and sliced
• 15 ml (1 tbsp.) fresh coriander, leaves only to serve
• 1 small lime, cut into wedges, to serve

Method:

1. Heat the oil in a large saucepan and sauté the onions and garlic for a few seconds.
2. Stir in the seeds and ginger and continue to cook for 2 minutes.
3. Next add the tomatoes, split peas, and cold water. Bring to a boil then reduce the heat and simmer until the split peas are soft, stirring occasionally.
4. Add the mango purée, honey, and season to taste.
5. Put the chicken in a mixing bowl, add the yoghurt and stir to combine.
6. Heat a griddle pan to hot and grill the chicken until cooked through. Once cooked set aside to rest before serving. In the same griddle pan, char grill the mango slices until cooked through.
7. Slice the chicken and serve with the split peas, topped with the char-grilled mango, coriander, and lime wedges.

This article was provided by the South African Mango Growers’ Association