Surprise Your Dad With These Irresistible and Refreshing Mango Treats: Quick Dessert Recipes

This might remind you that your father was the first, perhaps the only man who brought you bowls of fruit, always, more than you could stomach. In peak summers it was a big bowl of mangoes that would silently or sometimes not-so-silently arrive in your room. Don’t bake a cake for him, that takes a lot of effort and time to make and instead make smaller desserts in batches. It’s payback time now, use the same mangoes which we know he loves too, and prepare these quick dessert recipes for the stoic man in your life.

1. Mango panna cotta

(Makes 3 dessert glasses)

Ingredients

• 235 gm mango puree
• 120 ml water
• 1 tsp agar agar
• 25 gm granulated sugar

For the cream layer:

• 120 ml cream
• 235 ml milk
• 1 tsp agar agar
• 40 gm granulated sugar
• ½ tsp vanilla essence

Instructions

1. If you're using agar agar strips, cut them down into small bits. Add to a saucepan and add water and heat on low.
2. Keep stirring while it heats and once the agar agar dissolves, take it off heat.
3. Take the mango pulp if you haven't prepared the puree and add to a blender and give it a whizz.
4. Now add the agar agar liquid and mix.
5. You will need to tilt a glass at a 45 degree angle and divide the mango puree between the three glasses. Keep at the same angle until it sets. You could pop it into the fridge too.
6. Like before, prepare the agar agar using a little water. Then take a saucepan, pour milk, cream, sugar and vanilla essence and whisk until the sugar dissolves.
7. Put the saucepan on low heat and let it boil. Once it starts boiling, remove from heat and then pour the gelatin into it.
8. Now, whisk and then pour this cream layer into the set mango lauer in the glasses.
9. Chill until ready to serve or pack into the gift.

2. Mango Pudding

(Makes 4 servings)

Ingredients

• 200 gm ripe mango pulp (approx from 2 ripe mangoes)
• 50 gm granulated sugar (adjust to taste)
• 2 tbsp agar agar
• 100 ml water
• 250 ml coconut milk

Instructions

1. We assume you have extracted the mango pulp, chop it down, add it to a blender, add sugar to it and blend until smooth.
2. Take a saucepan, and add the agar agar powder, if it is strands, not powder, cut it down into small bits. Pour the water and heat over medium flame, stirring regularly.
3. Let it come to a boil, and keep going until the agar agar is dissolved and you have a hot jelly liquid bubbling away. Remove from the heat.
4. Let the agar agar liquid for like 20 seconds and pour it into the mango puree blender jar.
5. Pour the thick coconut milk next. Blend until smooth.
6. Pour the mixture into bowls and use a spatula to smoothen the tops.
7. Cover the surface with plastic film and refrigerate for 4 to 5 hours to let the pudding set.

3. Mango Mochi

(Makes 3 mochi)

Ingredients

• 4 ripe mango (pulp extracted)
• 120 gm glutinous rice flour
• 40 gm cornflour
• 30 gm white sugar
• 160 ml milk
• 2 tsp oil

For coating: coconut powder or flakes

Instructions

1. Wash, peel and extract the pulp from the ripe mangoes and slice them.
2. Take a bowl, add the glutinous rice flour, cornflour, sugar and milk. Mix until smooth like yoghurt.
3. Transfer to a heat-proof bowl, cover with plastic wrap, and poke tiny holes on the surface.
4. Steam for 30 minutes. This will make the dough pliable, like a semisolid.
5. Add the oil now, oil your gloves too and then knead to distribute. Pull as long as the mochi dough will stretch, twist and knead continuously. Keep doing it for 5-7 minutes.
6. Divide into three portions. Take one portion and flatten it into a circular wrapper.
7. Place the mango in the centre and then seal the wrapper like you would a dumpling. Shape it into an oval mochi.
8. Once the dough has been used up, coat the mochi in coconut powder or flakes and your mochis are ready to be gifted.