In a mango mood

Mango Mousse - My entry for Mahanandi’s JFI




Before apples, oranges, and formidable pineapples stepped into my life, there were mangoes!!!! Swinging along on a laden tree, tightly packed in a wooden crate, neatly sliced and piled on a plate, pickled and brined ,once upon a time, they were just everywhere around me . Although I hold no prejudice against any of the other respectable fruits mentioned, mangoes are forever my favorite fruits, not because of its taste, texture or color, but due to the enormous number of memory strings attached to that very tropical fruit. One mango memory in particular inspired me to prepare the dessert I made for JFI. On the backyard of my mother’s house in a quiet sunny seaside town of Cherthala (Kerala), stood a large, shady mango tree, on which, as kids, we used to have swings for Onam, and other celebrations. Come April- May, that blessed tree is all drooping down with a heavy load of mangoes, with the finest form and color. Instead of waiting under the tree to catch the ripe mangoes riding wind, or climbing up to pick a fruit or two, we just plainly ignored it. We looked up as if it is an impending doom, and countless jars of pickles of all sorts were made in our kitchen, in a desperate effort to check those mangoes from ripening. There was only one reason for this yearly humdrum exercise, and we all knew it. Those fruits were not at all sweet when ripe. There were always comparisons made with all the other “adorable” mango trees that we know in the neighborhood, which yield delightfully ripe “sugar packets” every year. My folks did not want to get rid of our tree either, so there were stories passed on to us about a certain “glorious past “of the tree and how it all sunk to soil with somebody casting an evil eye on it. Things went on like this for a couple of more years and then on one sultry summer after noon when I was 7 or 8 years old, my ever so improvising akkan (My cousin, my sis, the first ever homemade cake I tasted was skillfully baked by her hands), driven by an urge to make these ripe mangoes palatable, made her own version of Ambrosia, by mixing up three very common ingredients and created history. (At this point, I know that I am really exaggerating, but in my teeny little world back then, it was a big happening.) Well, she invented mango milk shake for us that day!! The recipe for that concoction was around for ever, but accidental reinvention is never suggested as a crime. The addition of milk and enough sugar to compensate the deficiency somehow turned this mango pulp into a very summery delight. Mango milk shake became our favorite summer after meal dessert for couple of more years, till we suddenly grew up and discovered bottled “Maaza Mango”, and tetra packed “Frooty”, and numerous irresistible intermixtures like Sharjah shake * . Time flew by, we do not have that mango tree anymore, I do not crave for even the most interesting milkshakes, but whenever I get into a mango mood, I somehow end up thinking about that lonely maverick of a mango tree, may be it was the swing or the milk shake or it is just what we call nostalgia, remembrance of the glorious summers that we had as kids, when simple everyday joys used to light up the universe

My entry for Mahanandi’s JFI is a simple Mango mousse, captures the taste of a mango shake, but with a different texture. As like any other mousse, this one is delicate, airy, can be made ahead, and yields to any mould, or scoop. Piped whipped cream, drizzled whole cream along with some mango puree ( as you see in the photo), sliced or grated mangoes, and any other delightful idea of yours, will all work fine for a decent presentation.


Mango Mousse

2 ripe mangoes
4 tbsp condensed milk
1 tbsp. orange juice (or honey)
¼ cup sugar (adjust to your desired sweetness)
3 large eggs
200 ml whipping cream

Puree mangoes with orange juice or honey, strain through a fine sieve. Use the whole puree, if you desire some texture to the mousse. Cream eggs and sugar together, cook on a double boiler, or under shallow heat with constant stirring, till it reaches a thick and creamy consistency. Remove from heat, stir in condensed milk, and let it cool for several minutes. Mix mango puree with egg cream and gently mix. Chill for 20 minutes. Whip half of the cream till stiff peaks form, and gently fold in to the chilled mixture. Chill for another 4-6 hrs, before serving with piped whipped cream, and fresh mango slices.

1 tsp of plain (peach flavored, works well too) gelatin can be added to firm up the mousse. Soak and melt gelatin in 3 tbsp of hot mango or orange juice, and add to the hot egg cream. Rest of the procedure stays just the same.

44 comments:

Anonymous said...

it looks awesome !!! i love ur way of presentation and all the cakes u bake look stunning. Keep up the good work ! iam gonna definetely try baking one of these soon.

Sukanya C said...

Hi there, I wish, you were here right next door instead of far away Portland. The mango mousse looks YUMMY as do everything else posted on the page.

archana said...

Priya,
Thank you very much priya,i am so happy that you came in. Thanks agian for the kind words
Sukanya,
I gather that you are a world taveler, someday you might even find yourself in Portland, quite near to us. Thank you for coming in, i am so glad that you like it.

Anonymous said...

Looks delicious! great presentation. looking forward to more of your recipes.

RP said...

Now, doesn't that make me nostalgic? I have tons of memories attached with mangoes too. I better don't think about any of those right now because I would be crying otherwise on this happy mango day.
Loved the mango mousse presentation.

KA said...

Archana,
Mousse looks delicious, nice presentation. I am in love with your cakes. Espcially the cake with daisies on top looks absolutely amazing, belive it or not my jaw dropped looking at that cake.

Revathi said...

The pics look awesome. The shape is so retained well. Coool one

Revathi said...

Hi Spicyana
Hope you dont mind the second comment. I noticed the old fotos ( aren't they) inthe first pic. Nice touch and very touching too.. Hoomph! feeling home-sick

Anonymous said...

Greaaaat
Joyce

Anonymous said...

I can relate to mango milk shake experience. First time, it did taste like ambrosia,just like you mentioned. Beautifully written and love the recipe.
Thanks for sharing your mango memories with us.

Lakshmi said...

nice one archana.

Haalo said...

So beautiful - looks wonderful and I'm sure tastes incredible.

archana said...

SH,
Good to have u back. Thank you for loving the story, and liking the mousse.
AJ
Thanks for visiting. looking forward to sharing recipes with all of u.

RP
Thank you. I am slowly heading towards a bout of homesickness after reading all these mangophilic posts. I guess i should rather focus on all these mouthwatering recipes, and try to reproduce as much as possible.
Have fun

K&A
Thanks for coming in. I do really appreciate your kind words. I am honored, and b...l..u..shing

Revathy,
You just made be "doubly" happy by commenting twice. That photo on the background is my amma and me,taken when i was ~4 years old. Thank you so much for noticing that.

Joyce chechi,
Thank you much.......

Indira,
Thank you so much for coming in, and thanks a big bunch for starting up and hosting JFI. You are always such an inspiration. I am sooooooo happy that you liked the post
Have a happy mango day...

Lakshmi
Tahnks a bunch

Haalo
Thank you for visitng,it tasted rich, and well, very "moussy".

Ashwini said...

Beautiful Archana. I want to give this a try. By whipped cream do you mean the readymade spray one? Can you tell me if I can use anything else besides that then?

archana said...

Aswini,
I am so happy that u are going to try this recipe. You can use the whipped cream, coming out of the spray bottle. I usually buy "whipping cream" and whip up on my own. Look for WC ( or heavy cream) in the diary product section, you will find it happily sitting near sour cream, half and half etc. You can then beat the chilled cream with a hand held or stand up mixer. It will take 4-10 minutes of processing depending on the mixer used. The spray bottle stuff will taste and work well too. Another alternative is a not -too- sweet nondiary whipped topping, that you get in tubs.
Have fun
Archana

yum said...

It looks so rich and creamy and delicious. I want to just take a spoonful now :)

By the way, this is my first time at your blog, and your cakes are very impressive(the strawberry chocolate one and the daisies one)!

Im eagerly awaiting your chicken roast recipe too.

Menu Today said...

Hi,
I tasted , today i learnt to make mousse from u. Thanx for sharing.
Nice picture.

Unknown said...

Beautiful mousse, i can almost feel the lightness and the flavours through your beautiful picture. I was actually planning to make the mousse for JFI, but the only whipping cream available in the supermarket was the 1L pack, and the low-fat cook that i am, didn't think of any use of the rest of the cream. Hence settled with pancakes and a pudding- You have a seriously professional touch to your work Archana- and lovely mango memories from Kerala

lost in thoughts said...

Lovely presentation ! First time on your blog.

Anonymous said...

Such a lovely looking mousse - I will definitely try the recipe. Your cakes also look amazing -positively sublime!

Vineela said...

Hi,
It looks so beautiful and yummy.Shape is perfect.very nice presentation.
vineela

archana said...

Yum
Wecome to Spicyana,thank you so much for coming in, and doooooo visit again. Thanks again for the kind words, i will be posting the CR recipe soon ( i totally forgot about it !!!)

MT,
Thank you for visitng, i hope mousse tasted OK. Thank you for the compliments

Nandita,
I exactly know what u are talking about , had to go through the same situation last Xmas vaccation, back home. Finally we managed to find some 200ml cans of WC of the brand name Ajanta. Mango pancake is a brilliant idea Nandita, you did very well without WC.
Thank you for the nice comments

Spice Hut
I am glad that you came, do visit agian. Thank you for the nice comments

Linda,
Thank you for coming in, do let me know how the recipe worked out for you. Thanks a lot for the compliment.

Vineela,
I am so glad that you liked it.
Thank you

Anonymous said...

archana,
I dont know what to write, may be I am becoming alienated to the wonderful world of baking
What is dieting?
Joyce

Anonymous said...

Hi baking girl!
How do you do this? Please tell me you have a pro dessert maker/baker at home! Look at that mousse. Seriously, you should try selling your stuff!

Do you know what type of mango tree it was at you mom's back home? Do you remember the name?

Also, welcoming you to my Green Blog Project

Luv2cook said...

WOW...the mouse looks AWESOME and I am not even going to talk about your cakes. They are just beautiful!

Mosilager said...

എനിക്കും കഴിക്കാ൯ പറ്റിയായിരുന്നെംഗില് നന്നായേനെ. seriously, good job there. I can't cook but I'm very good at eating... when is the recipe book coming out? Thanks for stopping by...

archana said...

Joyce chechi
Please don't ever quit baking, there are lot many recipes out there which won't affect dieting at all. Why don't you bake an artisan bread for a change this week ?

Ig,
Thank you, thank you i am flattered !!! I was there at your blog this morning, and we all are going to have some fun participating in the green blog project. BTW,what an interesting idea !!! I am 100 % sure that the mangoe tree was not a "Muvandan",i wrote to my folks asking what it was, after seeing your comment, will let u know soon.

Love2cook
Thank you for coming in, i am sooooooooo happy that u liked the mousse, and the cakes. Do come again.

Mosilager

Thanks for visiting. We do need good, appreciative eaters as much as we need good cooks. A Cook Book !!!! Me !!!!
Ente Daivame !!!!!
Do visit agian

Unknown said...

That looks divine!!!

Anonymous said...

What a wonderful recipe and presentation! I love mangoes and I love mousse.

Could I use canned mango puree instead of fresh mangoes? If so, could I need to eliminate the sugar totally?

archana said...

Pushpa
Thank you

Anu
Thanks a lot, i am glad that u liked the recipe. Canned mango puree works well too, but defanitely you will have to reduce the sugar u use in the recipe depending on the sweetness of the product used. Egg cream requires a minimum of 1 tbsp of added sugar.
Hope this helps, let me know how it turned out.

Anonymous said...

Beautifully written and lovely recipe.I can relate to your post,Archana...:).
Awesome pictures!

Susan in Italy said...

Hello Archanat,

All I have to say is, Good Golly! You're really after my own heart. I have been wanting to try floating islands for years and haven't yet done it. Same thing with the strawberry chocolate cake with the patterned chocolate sides. Kudos!

Srikala B said...

Looks so nice:)

Anonymous said...
This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.
Anonymous said...

Where is my baknig fairy? Long time no see?

Anonymous said...

Goodness Gracious Me!!!
What fabulous cakes and what a marvellous mousse.One of these days, when the temperature goes below 35 C I am going try the strawberry cake.

archana said...

Sailaja,
I am glad that you liked it. Don't we all have our own personal mango memory !! Thank you for visiting

Susan
Thank you for stopping by. It is just that we keep chasing the elusive recipes, and forget to try the simple ones ! I know exactly what you are talking about, and have a long list of desserts which are easy to make, but never actually made.

P Amma
Thank you for visiting Spicyana, do come again

LG dearest..
I AM HERE !!! I AM HERE !!! ( flapping wings...)
Thank you for asking, i was a little bit over occupied with couple of things. Everything is fine, all are good. Expect Green Blog project chronicles soon.

DHL
Thank you for coming in , i am happy that you liked it. I tried making the panels when i was vaccationing at home, i got up really early and finished the work before sun came up and refrigerated it for the rest of the day. But i am sure things will work out much better during Winter.

Anonymous said...

Archana: Thanks for your kind words about my post on Mahanandi! Your cakes look delectable..now if only I could make a vegan or atleast an eggless version of your divine mango mousse:)

archana said...

RUMS,
I almost fainted with excitment after reading your comment, thank you

Janani,
You are truly gifted with a unique writing style, hope we will be able to read more from you someday. You can totally substitue the egss with some gelatin. Thank you

Anonymous said...

this looks great.. have to try
want to know if i have to use pulp how much shd i use, coz we get some awesoem mango pulp here in Dubai imported from India.

Anonymous said...

this looks great.. have to try
want to know if i have to use pulp how much shd i use, coz we get some awesoem mango pulp here in Dubai imported from India.

Anonymous said...

Hello Archana,
It is like that I would like to have it near me & watch it always.You are very very talented.Have a wonderful time.I love to visit Spicyana often.You are very artistic.My best wishes for your future recipes

Anonymous said...

I tried it again and it was so good.....Thanks a lot for this recipe.

Rg.

Anonymous said...

Archana,your mango mousse was so tempting that i made it on this weekend, not only the colour look good but it was delicious!! only thing that went wrong was consistency..wasn't firm as i didnt use gelatin(veg version not available here). Hence, thanks for such a lovely post that tempts people like me to try them..as I earlier mentioned, the results are 1/1000 ..let me rephrase that to 1/millionth! surely so..but tasty treat! thanks a billion!
Best Regards,
PDM
(yet to make the tiramisu cookies...wd give u a feedback on that too--Happy Onam to you in advance..its coming on 27th..i hv a lot to prepare!)

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