"King of fruits" is what mangoes are often referred as and we all know why. This little sunshine on the plate is an amalgamation of sweetness, flavours, and health properties. These are the most eaten fruits globally, and unbelievably the worldwide production of mangoes has passed the 40 million tonnes mark. These South Asian native fruits have been cultivated for thousands of years, and every part of the mango tree, be it the bark or the leaves or skin or even the pit, is used in folk remedies. What we have now is the taste of fresh fruit; however, when it was first imported to American colonies in the 17th Century, mangoes could be only used for making pickles due to their lack of refrigeration.

Today, India is considered the home of this King of Fruits as the country is accountable for 45% of the total worldwide production. With a huge variety of 300 types of mangoes, you will never have a problem in choosing one; or should I say, it is going to be a huge problem in choosing the tastiest one. Varieties like: Himsagar, Totapuri, Alphonso, and Kesar lead the list. Mangoes are the national fruit of countries like India, Pakistan, and the Philippines and it is the National tree of Bangladesh. They are considered in the same family as cashews and pistachios. The ripe fruit varies in size and colour - yellow, orange, red, and green are the colours of happiness during the summer season. These 30 meters long trees are rich in Vitamin C, and folate as well as other nutrients like Vitamin A and B. Mangoes also have a moderate amount of copper, many vital enzymes and ingredient for red blood cells production.

Mangoes are used for beverages and as flavour to increase the sweetness in dishes like juices, smoothies, ice creams, sweets, and pies. Mango flavoured cakes and cookies are one of the highest-selling food items during the summer season.

Himsagar is one of the most famous varieties of mangoes in the world, and with its zero fibre, golden glow, pleasant aroma, and unparallel sweetness, they are ruling the list with a considerable margin. It is cultivated in Murshidabad, Malda, and Hoogly of West Bengal and in some parts of Bangladesh. Himsagar Aam also have a record of attending the Mango Festival held in United States. These mangoes are found for the shortest period starting from the 2nd week of May till the end of June, so do not wait to make a purchase.

The Bengalis are known for their sweet tooth, and therefore when a Bengali recommends a certain mango, never doubt her judgement. As we say, even if you buy a “Himsagar Aam” with closed eyes, it will guarantee 100% sweetness. These mangoes are mainly used in mango flavoured sweets and milkshakes.

Now we will look into the medical properties which Himsagar possesses. These mangoes are an excellent source of Vitamin A, C, and E. These are essential to maintain a healthy heart and good vision. These medical properties also help to control cholesterol levels. Due to its low fibre content, it can also be consumed easily by gastrointestinal patients. So with that let us look at a tasty recipe with Himsagar mangoes:

 

Mango Phirni with Himsagar Aam:

 

Prep time: 10-15 minutes

Cooking time: 25-30 minutes

Serves: 11-12 Kullhad

 

Ingredients:

·         Gobindobhog Rice 100 gm (raw)

·         Ripe Himsagar Mango - 3 (1 cup pulp)

·         Full fat milk - 1 litre

·         Sugar - 100 grm

·         1 pinch Cardamom Powder

·         Chopped Almonds - 1 tbsp

·         Chopped Cashew nuts - 1 tbsp

·         Chopped Pistachios - 1 tbsp

·         Salt – 1 pinch (Garnishing purpose)

·         Ripe Himsagar mango slices – As desired

·         Fresh mint leaves

 

Method:

·         Wash the gobindobhog rice until it’s clean and soak it in water for about 45mins. Next, drain the water and spread the rice on a large plate to air-dry it.

·         Cut the Himsagar mangoes, remove the skin, and cut the flesh into small pieces. Then with the help of a grinder, make puree from it and avoid lumps.

·         In the next step, take the dried rice and transfer it to the grinder and grind to coarse texture. Be careful that you do not grind it too much.

·         Take 200ml from the 1 litre full fat milk and soak the rice in it. We will use the remaining 800ml in the phirni making.

·         Take a heavy bottom vessel put it on medium flame, and add the 800ml milk. Keep on stirring to bring it to a light simmer.

·         When the milk is boiling, add the milk-soaked rice. Keep on stirring while adding the rice to avoid any lump formation. Remember to scrape off the sides while you are cooking. DO NOT STOP the stirring process. Keep the flame on medium heat.

·         When your phirni starts to thicken, lower the flame and keep cooking until the rice grains are completely cooked.

·         Now add the mango puree to the thickened phirni. Next, add the chopped nuts and stir it well.

·         In the next step, add the sugar after checking the sweetness. Next add a pinch of cardamom powder and cook on a medium flame for the next 5-7 minutes.

·         Make sure the consistency of the dish is thick.

·         Add a pinch of salt and stir well. Your cooking is done.

·         Transfer the phirni into the kullhads. Now you should be sure that while transferring the phirni it should be warm.

·         Store the kullhads in the fridge for a minimum of 4-5 hours or even overnight is good.

·         Now your phirni is ready to be served. However, before serving the chilled phirni, remember to garnish it with fresh Himsagar mango pieces and mint leaves.

 

You can also try other recipes like mango-shakes, mango chutney, mango kheer, etc. As Himsagar is a sweet fruit, any sweet dish would be best with this mango. The use of sugar would be significantly less.

You might wonder where you can find Himsagar as they can be found only for a few days? We at Bangla Konnection have it sorted for you by bringing you the best quality Himsagar mangoes at your doorstep pan India.

 

Ujjaini Ganguli