Yummy mango salsa

My love for mangos started very early in life. Much like the coconut tree, mango trees are abundant in Kerala. Whereas in the States, the mango fruit is still considered exotic, in much of India (and other parts of the world such as South and Central America) it is consumed daily in many forms, from modest recipes to  truly complicated ones that take hours to prepare. One of my favorite childhood memory is sitting on the stairs outside my grandparents' beautiful home and eating green, still raw mangos that we picked from her yard. My grandmother would cut the mango into thick slices and sprinkle it with a dash of salt and indian red pepper. We savored every bite.  Raw mangos are also used to create some delicious Malayali curries. They are a bit complicated but I promise to share them in the future when my mom is here to help with the recipe.

Mangos are also used in non-savory dishes. One of my all time favorite is a drink called mango lassi. yumm. yumm. yumm. Although I've only enjoyed this drink in a restaurant, I do hope to try my hand at making it at home. If I do, I'll def share it with all of you.

I love the versatility of this recipe. You could use it in a taco, on nachos or on baked white fish. It's fabulous.

Hope you'll try it.

Mango Salsa

Some thing I've learned along the way:
1. The mango has a HUGE pit in the middle which can be challenging when trying to cut the fruit. The best way to cut a mango? Start by cutting the top and bottom parts of the mango to create a stable base. Use a veggie pealer to cut away the tough skin, cut the outer parts of the fruit working your way in to the center. Discard the pit.

Ingredients:
-2 ripe mangos, cut and diced into small pieces
-Handful of cilantro, roughly chopped
-Dash of indian red pepper (may substitute cayenne)
-Salt and black pepper, to taste
-Juice from 1/2 a lime

Directions:
In a large bowl, combine all ingredients and let stand for 15-20 minutes to allow the ingredients to mix well. This recipe may be made a day in advance but be sure to keep it refrigerated.

Enjoy!

Till next time, To Life!