Mad for mangoes

One of our most delightful summer treats are the wonderful mangoes, both green and ripe, that grow across the country. Although sliced fresh mangoes are an indulgence in themselves, the flavour can be enjoyed in many ways, including in desserts, savoury dishes as well as beverages.

On top of the great taste, eating mangoes, particularly in the summer heat, has several important health benefits. They are rich in Vitamin C, but are also said to help in coping with the heat by controlling secretion of excess salt in sweat. They also help to soothe digestion, keeping the stomach cool.

Easy Kashmiri aachar
Ingredients:
1 kg green mango
2 to 2½ kg sugar
2 cups vinegar
5 tbsp dry red chilli (cut into rings with scissors and seeds removed)
½ cup ginger, thinly sliced
1/3 cup garlic, thinly sliced
Method:
Wash the mangoes and peel off the skin. Cut the mangoes into thin slices and mix with sugar and leave for an hour. Put vinegar in a pot and bring it to a boil. Add mango, chillies, ginger and garlic. Cook on slow fire until syrup thickens and mango slices are soft but not soggy. Put in glass jar when cold.