Trinidad curry mango does not take a long time to prepare and you can have it ready to serve in only 25 minutes. The typical quantity is also sufficient for about 6 servings.
This dish might seem simple, but, regarding flavor, it is anything but. It’s only simple when it comes to actually making the dish. Adding this dish to your regular meals might just spice up your daily eating routine.
So if you have guests coming over, surprise them by serving a dash of curried mango with your staple of chicken. Not only will this give you a unique pairing for your meal, but I can assure you that they will be impressed with your cooking skills.
This Trinidad vegan dish might seem a bit exotic and like you have put in a lot of effort to make it. But of course that’s not true, I know its secret and soon you are going to know it too.
History of Curry
You might think that curry is only typical of Indian cuisine but people all over the world make use of curries, such as Fiji, Britain, Scandinavia, America, Singapore, etc. So curry as a word actually has come to mean a lot of things and, similarly, there are no end to recipes of cooking a curry. It can mean any type of broth prepared with spices that are typically used in Indian food.
Other names of curried mango
Since there is quite some spice in curried mango, it is also called Mango Talkari which basically means masala mango. People on the Indian sub-continent usually call this dish by the name Mango Talkari. In parts of eastern India people also love this dish and it is common in many households.
Learn the Best Curried Mango Recipe
If you live in India, then getting curried mango ingredients might be child’s play for you. But if you are living outside of India, then finding the ingredients will be a bit of a task since Indian spices are somewhat exotic. Although, due to the availability of everything online today, you can actually order the spices that are required for the recipe online. Many retail stores also stock all the different spices these days.
Here is the list of things that you will need to cook curried mango:
About 4 to 5 unripe, that is green, mangoes- 1 cup of water
- 2 tablespoons of special Trinidadian curry powder
- 1 tablespoon of vegetable oil
- 2 cloves of garlic that are frayed
- 1 tsp of Salt
- 2 tablespoons of sugar
- 2 teaspoons of masala mixed spice. This can be achaar masala or even garam masala
- You can put hot pepper or west Indian pepper sauce but it is optional
You might not think it is necessary to cut the vegetables in any particular way when you cook, but to me it makes all the difference in the world. Chopping a vegetable in a dish in certain ways a key factor in enhancing or decreasing the taste.
The vegetables have to be cut in a way so that they get infused with all the aroma and the spices that go into the dish. The first step is to know how to chop the mangoes for Trinidadian curried mango. Follow the first step below then proceed:
- Cut the mangoes into long pieces across their length. The cuts should go through the seed. Slice them into six to eight pieces each.
- There will be a part of the seed inside that needs to be thrown ut, and the mangoes then need to be washed.
- Put the amount of Trinidadian curry powder mentioned above into a bowl and put in ½ cup of water and then stir to form a thick paste.
- Pour oil in a cooking pan and add the paste.
- Do not put the flame on high. Keep stirring the paste after putting it in the hot oil.
- Now it is time to add the mangoes to the oil.
- Stirring is the key to evenly distribute the curry paste in all the slices of mangoes.
Pour in the rest of the water, along with sugar, garlic, and hot pepper if you want.- Decrease the heat a bit and cook until you see the mangoes getting a bit soft and the masala is not runny. However, do not make the curry too dry, as it might burn. If you feel like you need more gravy, then you can add a bit of extra water.
- Cover the pan as you cook so that the gravy does not evaporate and the curry cooks faster.
- Taste the mangoes a bit to see if they are tart enough for your tastes. Add a hint of sugar if you think it’s necessary.
- Garnish by sprinkling achaar masala on top and then put out the flame.
- You can later put in some more salt and pepper if you feel there isn’t enough.
You are done!
If your dish tastes a bit tart but with some sweetness and a hint of pepper, then you know that you have perfected this recipe. Remember that the heat should always be kept at medium because the mangoes are tender. Overheating it might just spoil the dish altogether.
It is essential that you choose green mangoes for this dish because they can then be used as a side dish. It pairs just fine whether you have a full-fledged vegetarian or non-vegetarian meal. You can try eating curried mango with either roti or rice.
An important fact to know is that hot pepper is very important to get the desired taste in this dish. But if you can’t tolerate the spice, go ahead and use a pepper that is milder.
What Goes Best with Curried Mango?
Channa, chicken curry, shrimp, and potatoes are some of my best picks when it comes to complements for curried mango. I prefer adding a bit of chutney or kuchela, but even the raw taste of curried mango is great with a main course.
The best thing about this dish is its humble preparation and the way it can complement almost any dish on the table. But if you do not like chicken or shrimp, then they can be easily replaced with tofu which goes perfectly with curried mango.
There are also other variations that you can try. You can sauté the mangoes a bit, add some garlic, or maybe coconut milk as well. Some prefer to boil the mangoes, or cook them directly with achaar masala, or to mash the mangoes to create a gooey texture.
A lot of people disagree on whether the mangoes should be peeled. For those who like leaving the mangoes unpeeled, they say that the peel adds to the texture and taste. On the other hand, some say unpeeled mangoes make a lesser version of the curry.
Although the recipe that I have just given is how I like my curried mango, I do not mind any of the various other recipes either. I can have mangoes in any form!
Some Fun Facts
So, all of us know about Queen Victoria right?
But I bet that very few of you know that she first tasted authentic Indian curry prepared by her helper Abdul Karim. Since the year 1887, when she had this curry, she continued to try varieties of curries in England. All of these curries were prepared in the Royal Kitchen. Queen Victoria especially loved having daal and chicken curry.
You must be wondering how this relates to curried mango. Well, it turns out that the Queen had always wanted to have mangoes brought over from India but never really could because they would be rotten by the time they were transported to England from India. If she had known about curried mango back then, she would have had a great combination of both mangoes and curry in one single dish! And it wouldn’t have gotten rotten, because the mangoes need to be green!
Now that you know how to prepare a standard version of curried mango, you are ready to show off your cooking skills at the earliest opportunity. You might think about having a family gathering just so that you can make everyone try your new-found heavenly dish. Just remember the proper quantities and follow the instructions carefully and you are good to go!
I hope your dish turns our right and you end up falling in as much love with this dish as I have. Good luck and happy cooking!
