Soufflé, the mango-licious way!

Not only does it taste divine, this dessert also strengthens your immune system and lowers blood pressure!

Mangoes, especially the luscious Chaunsa, evoke happy memories of sultry summer evenings with my late father when a mango mania of sorts would prevail over our home. A connoisseur of fine food, he would narrate numerous stories of the famous 19th century Urdu poet Mirza Ghalib’s love for mangoes as part of the ritual of devouring them.

It is well-known that Ghalib’s love for mangoes took precedence over his love for poetry and this oft repeated anecdote about a donkey is my favourite; a close friend of Ghalib’s, who saw a donkey sniffing and then turning away from a heap of mango skins remarked,

“Gadhe bhi aam nahi khaate”

(Even donkeys don’t eat mangoes)

To which the master of repartee replied,

“Beshak gadhe aam nahi khaate!”

(Of course, donkeys don’t eat mangoes)

He would write numerous letters to his friends in other cities beseeching them to send him gifts of mangoes and even wrote a whole masnavi in praise of his beloved fruit.

Photo: Saira Khan

A source of joy in a brutally hot season, in those days mangoes were soaked in tubs of chilled water for a few hours and later eaten by us, with an almost sacred pleasure, in the traditional way. Without removing its skin, you gently press the mango with fingers from all sides to mash the fruit inside to a pulp, remove the pip on the top to make a small opening and then suck up the delicious juice, a feeling of utter bliss. Of course sometimes it would turn into a sticky, messy ordeal as the process does require a bit of skill!

The love and appreciation for this delectable fruit he instilled in all of us has not only survived through the years but the sight of mangoes is forever associated with his charming, smiling face and plays havoc with my resilience not to over-indulge in them.

It's best to eat the fruit as it is but recently I came across this dessert in which the original flavour of the fruit remains intact while giving it an additional twist. Hope it'll delight your senses just like it did mine.

Ingredients: (Serves three)

Mango – 1 (large, cubed)

Condensed milk (sweetened) – ½ cup (or 1/3 cup, if you prefer it mildly sweet)

Cream – ½ cup

Mango jelly – ½ pack

Method:

1. Prepare jelly with 1 cup water but do not let it set.

2. Blend it with all other ingredients until smooth. Refrigerate 4-6 hours to chill.

Photo: Saira Khan

Apart from its scrumptious appeal, this dessert also strengthens your immune system, will keep bad cholesterol in check, lowers blood pressure, improves eye sight, aids memory and digestion, and fights many types of cancers with its high content of iron, vitamins C and A, and potassium. Let’s utilise this fruit in a delightful way and make this summer even more summer-y!