Spice Up Your Summer with Calypso® Mango

SPICE UP YOUR SUMMER WITH THAI CALYPSO^® MANGO RECIPES

Summer means scorching hot days. What is more refreshing than authentic dishes from Southeast Asia for summer picnics and feasts. Because mangoes are available all year round in these tropical countries, this luscious fruit is eaten all year round from salads, to mains, and desserts.

In Thailand, hot and spicy dishes are balanced by the sweetness of mangoes. Street food vendors all over Thailand can be found selling the popular Som Tum, a fresh and spicy green papaya salad made on the spot. Equally popular is Som Tum Mamuang, traditionally made of green mangoes.

Som Tum originates from Isaan province in Northeast Thailand and neighbouring Laos. There are many versions of Som Tum, but the core ingredients include chili, garlic, fish sauce, palm sugar, lime juice, tomatoes, long beans, dried shrimp, papaya or mangoes. Isaan and Laos version of Som Tum usually add fermented fish sauce and pickled crab, adding deep umami flavours. The ingredients are combined in a wooden mortar and pestle, until well blended. It can be eaten alone, but it is usually served with sticky rice and a grilled chicken or meat dish. 

Som Tum is prepared on the spot as you order to retain the freshness, texture, and flavour of the fruits and vegetables. Make it your own adjusting the flavour to suit how salty, sour, or spicy you want it to be. Using ripe mangoes instead of green mangoes adds a pop of sweetness the entire family will enjoy. 

Another well-loved Thai dish is Khao Niao Mamuang or Sticky Rice with Mango. You can find this dessert all over Thailand, from street vendors, to markets, restaurants, hotels, and resorts. It is made of glutinous sticky rice, fresh mangoes, and coconut milk. No one leaves Thailand without tasting and falling in love with Sticky Rice with Mango. It can be served hot or cold, but best consumed on the day it is made. The sweetness of the mangoes complements the rich chewy coconut rice.

Traditionally, the Sticky Rice is cooked in a Huad, a conical woven bamboo basket placed over a pot of boiling water. Without this, you can use a steamer, or even a metal sieve instead.

Impress your friends and family this summer by serving these healthy Thai Mango dishes in your picnics or beach gatherings. Use Calypso® Mangoes, known to be plump, sweet, and juicy. With a smaller seed, there’s more mango to go around for these Thai dishes. Your dishes will surely stand out for their fresh, bold, and refreshing flavours.

Here are two easy Thai recipes using Calypso® Mangoes:

Som Tum Mamuang, Thai Calypso® Mango Salad (Serves 2)

Ingredients:

1 Calypso® Mango

*(Traditionally, green mangoes are used. For Ripe mangoes, choose a firm Calypso® mango)

1/3 cup cherry tomatoes, halved

¼ cup Thai Basil Leaves, thinly sliced

¼ cup Coriander leaves, optional

1 Tbsp roasted Peanuts

1 clove garlic, minced

1 small red chili, seeded, and chopped

2 Tbsp Fish Sauce

2 Tbsp Lime Juice

2 Tbsp Palm Sugar or brown sugar

 Method:

1. Peel Mango. Cut into long thin strips. Set aside.
2. Add garlic clove and chili to mortar and pestle. Pound until garlic is crushed.
3. Add lime juice, palm sugar, fish sauce. Mix well until sugar is dissolved. Taste and adjust to your liking.
4. Place mangoes on a serving bowl. Add tomatoes, coriander, basil, and half of the peanuts. Stir in dressing and toss. Garnish with remaining peanuts.

Khao Niao Mamuang (Sticky Rice with Calypso® Mango) (serves 2)

Ingredients: 

1 Calypso® Mango Peeled and sliced

1 cup coconut milk

½ tsp salt

1 cup glutinous rice

¼ cup Palm sugar or brown sugar

Method:

1. Wash the rice several times until water becomes clear.
2. Soak the rice in water for at least 3 hours up to 12 hours. Then drain the water.
3. Traditionally, they use a Huad, conical bamboo steamer specifically for making sticky rice. Without this, you can use a steamer. Put water in the bottom layer. Bring to a boil. Once it is boiling, on the top layer, place the cheese cloth. Scoop the soaked and drained rice into the cheese cloth. Cover with the steamer lid. Cook for 25 minutes, until rice is translucent. Alternatively, you can use a metal sieve. Place the glutinous rice in a metal sieve over boiling water and cover with a lid.
4. Remove sticky rice from Steamer. Put it on a plate and allow it to rest.
5. Heat the coconut milk in a pot over medium heat. Stirring constantly until it simmers. Add sugar and salt. Cook until it dissolves.
6. Remove from heat. Pour ¾ on the hot sticky rice. Let it sit for 5 minutes. The rice will absorb coconut milk mixture.
7. Top with the remaining coconut milk upon serving. Serve with Calypso® Mangoes.

Find out more about Calypso® Mangoes