Mango Mania : Seekarane - A sweet mango relish

What’s the best thing about Summer? Other than summer holidays for kids, is it not mangoes that make summer a special season?

Summers are made special starting from the tangy, sour, raw mangoes of various varieties, to the ripe, juicy, sweet mangoes. With all the health benefits added to it, it surely deserves to be called the King of Fruits. It sure is a comfort food. Mangoes really can make one feel better! The heat of summer can be forgotten momentarily when having mangoes - be it the raw ones with salt and chili powder, or ripe and juicy ones, or any dish prepared from it!

There are many many regional cuisines prepared using this King of Fruits. Each has its own uniqueness and specialty. And the best part of it is that it makes you crave for more! So why not dedicate a special series for this king of fruits?

Let’s start with Seekarane - a Karnataka specialty using ripe mangoes, which can be had as an accompaniment with chapathi / poori / dosa, or just as a dessert. It’s a simple and easy recipe, with very few ingredients but still makes you feel great after having a bowl of it.

At home, it’s usually my FIL (yes, you read it right!) who makes it. He is very fond of this fruit and usually chops the fruits and makes it ready, and all of us savor it!

Here's how you make it.......

Mango Seekarane

Preparation time : 15 min Cooking time : Nil Serves : 4-5 Ingredients: Mangoes - 3-4 medium sized, any variety Bananas - 1-2, preferably elakki variety Milk - 1 cup, chilled Sugar - 1-2 Tbsp, depending on whether the mangoes are sweet or sour Honey - 1 Tbsp, optional Cardamom - 3-4 Method: • Peel and cut the mangoes into ½ inch pieces • Scrape out the pulp and juice sticking to the seed • Cut bananas into small pieces and mix with the mango pieces and pulp • Add milk, sugar and/or honey • Crush the cardamoms and add • Mix thoroughly • Pour into small bowls and refrigerate if needed • Serve as dessert, or as accompaniment with chapathis/pooris/dosas Tips n Tricks: • Adjust the quantity of sugar / honey based on how sweet / sour the mangoes are Variations: • Sugar or honey can both be added or one of them can be chosen - both give different tastes • Bananas can be omitted

Mango-facts:
• The mango is indigenous to the Indian Subcontinent especially India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, and Southeast Asia
• The name mango is ultimately from the Tamil mangai and was loaned into Portuguese in the early 16th century as manga, from where the Portuguese passed into English.
• Mangoes account for approximately fifty percent of all tropical fruits produced worldwide.
• India is the largest producer of Mangoes
• Alphonso, grown exclusively in the Konkan region of Maharashtra, which is considered among the best mangoes in the Southern states of India is named after Afonso De Albuquerque who reputedly brought the fruit on his journeys to Goa
• Mango is rich in a variety of phytochemicals and nutrients that qualify it as a model "superfruit", a term used to highlight potential health value of certain edible fruits.
• Mangoes are an excellent source of Vitamins A and C, as well as a good source of Potassium and contain beta carotene.
• Mangoes are high in fiber, but low in calories (approx. 110 per average sized mango), fat (only 1 gram) and sodium.
Source of facts: http://www.freshmangos.com/, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mango