You’d be forgiven for thinking mango season was over. After all, these exotic yellow fruits drip with the sweetness of summer. But the truth is, South Africa’s late harvest mangoes are available until the end of March, meaning you still have time to indulge in all their tantalising goodness.
There are four cultivars available at this time of year: Kent, Keitt, Sensation and Heidi.
Kent and Keitt mangoes remain predominantly green even when ripe; to check for ripeness the flesh will ‘give’ slightly when lightly squeezed. Although mostly green as well, Sensation has a purple blush that turns red when ripe, while Heidi mangoes are yellow and red, which deepen in colour as they ripen.
The flavours of these cultivars range from subtly sweet and fragrant to honey sweet with that distinctive, floral mango aroma. This makes these late season delights perfect for breakfast with a tropical touch.
As if you needed another reason to tuck into marvellous mangoes, they’re high in vitamins A and C, biotin and the mineral potassium, and are a source of vitamins B1 and B6. Mangoes are also free from fat, sodium and cholesterol.
Our go-to recipe this season is Mango Flapjacks topped with toasted almonds. Quick and easy to prepare, finely chopped mango is stirred into a traditional crumpet batter, dollops of which are pan fried over medium heat. The browned flapjacks are served with coconut yoghurt, honey and toasted almonds.
Recipe compliments of SA Mango Growers’ Association. For more mangoes recipes visit www.mango.co.za.
Mango flapjacks topped with toasted almonds
Preparation time: 30 minutes | Makes 18
Ingredients
For the flapjacks:
- 190 g cake flour
- 30 ml (2 tbsp.) castor sugar
- 3 ml baking powder
- Pinch of salt
- 2 large eggs
- 30 ml (2 tbsp.) butter, melted
- 300 ml buttermilk
- 300 g fresh mango, peeled, pitted, and finely diced
For the topping:
- 250 ml (1 cup) coconut yoghurt, or any other flavoured yoghurt you desire
- Honey, to serve
- 60 ml (¼ cup) toasted sliced almonds, to serve
- 1 lemon, cut into wedges to serve
Method
- In a large mixing bowl, mix the flour, sugar, baking powder and salt. Make a well in the centre and add the eggs, butter, and buttermilk, whisk together until well combined and lump free. Mix the diced mangoes into the batter.
- Spray a large frying pan with a non-stick spray and heat over medium heat. Spoon 30 ml (2 tbsp.) of batter in the frying pan and when bubbles appear on the surface, flip them over and continue to cook for a further minute. Remove and keep warm until all the batter is used.
- Serve the flapjacks with the yoghurt, honey, almonds, and lemon.