Make Mine a Mango Pancake
Tinned Food Month concludes...
I don’t want to bring Tinned Food Month to a close. I feel it has so much more to give, that it could go on and on forever. But I have some non-tinned recipes coming in June that I am looking forward to, so it’s ta-ra for now, but not goodbye. This week’s recipe is for sunshine-yellow Hong Kong-style Mango Pancakes, which you can fill with fruit and cream and enjoy as an indulgent weekend dessert or breakfast.
Tinned mango pulp is a versatile, treat of an ingredient. Peeling and removing the stone from a mango is a nice task, when you have the time for it. But sometimes opening a tin of ready-made, delicious Indian mango pulp and pouring it straight out just wins… In lassis, smoothies, custards and cakes, I’m only now discovering what treats lie ahead of me thanks to this godly tinned product.
I first saw recipes for Hong Kong-style mango pancakes on my ‘Explore’ feed, back before it was taken over by reels of pregnant women doing lunges and odes to ‘what 3 months of breastfeeding did to my baby’. I knew them from being a popular dessert at Yum Cha in Australia but I had never actually eaten one. I knew I would love them and with tinned mango on the brain, it was time to dive in.
I am particularly drawn to the pancakes at the moment because of their sunshine yellow colour and ability to brighten up the miserable grey skies, and the wettest start to the year since 1931 (not to mention an alarmingly depressing news week).
It’s still Indian mango season in the UK, so should you want to fill yours with fresh mango instead of kiwi or strawberries, it’s a good time to do it! I think the tartness of kiwi works really well against the sweet cream though, plus it looks pretty cool too.
I used the Laila brand of tinned mango here, but KTC’s version includes the same ingredients (mango pulp, sugar and a touch of citric acid). Just be sure to go for the pulp rather than tinned mango slices – you’ll probably find it in the dreaded ‘World Food’ aisle. See below for what to do with the leftovers.
Mango Pancakes
For the pancakes
170ml whole milk
60g plain flour
30g cornflour
30g cup icing sugar / powdered sugar
3 eggs
100g tinned mango pulp
A couple of drops yellow food colouring (or dash of turmeric) - optional
For the filling
200ml double cream , fridge cold
3 tbsp icing sugar / powdered sugar , sifted
3-4 kiwi cut in half veritcally, and a few halved strawberries, or mango slices
Place the milk, mango pulp, food colouring (if using) and eggs in a bullet blender (or blend with a hand blender) and whizz until smooth. Sift the flour, cornflour and icing sugar in a large bowl, then whisk in the liquid until it’s lump free. The batter should be thin and bright. Refrigerate for about an hour to allow the ingredients to meld and the batter to thicken slightly.
Give the batter a mix, then it’s time to start making the pancakes. Use kitchen towel to lightly coat your pancake or frying pan with neutral oil, then put the pan on a medium heat.
Using a cup measure (I used one that’s 60ml), pour the batter into the middle of the pan, then swirl to cover the base in a thin layer of batter. Don’t worry if the edges aren’t even, mine weren’t! Cook until the middle is set and you can’t see any raw batter, it should be about 1 minute. Do not flip. Use a rubber spatula to loosen the edges as they start to cook. Then, when you feel there is no raw batter, flip the pancakes out upside down onto a plate or board or peel them off gently if they are being stubborn. Repeat the process until all pancakes are cooked.
Cool them completely (I allowed 20 minutes in my cold kitchen). Meanwhile, place the cream and icing sugar in a cold bowl and whisk until stiff (about 2 minutes with a hand mixer or slightly longer by hand).
Ensure all pancakes are cooked-side up (ie. the side that’s slightly mottled from contact with the pan). Then, spread a generous layer of cream just below the halfway mark horizontally across the pancake, leaving an inch or two on the edges. Top with two pieces of kiwi, strawberries or a slice of mango, then roll up: start by folding up the bottom, then tucking in the sides so you have right angles, then continue rolling and turn the pancake over on itself so it’s seam-side down. Repeat with the remaining pancakes and enjoy!
Now what do I do with all that tinned mango?
The easiest option is to make a jug of mango lassi by combining 400g mango pulp with 170g yogurt and 180g milk. You won’t need to add sugar as there’s already some in the pulp. Whizz up in a blender and enjoy with or without ice. Yum!
It’s a good excuse, though, to try another mango dessert like these mango pots or pretty mango custard tarts (or posset).
If you’re seeking something very fancy, try Vivek Singh’s mango creme brûlées.
As May closes, here are four of my favourite home-cooked meals of the month.
Clockwise, from top left:
Nasi Lemak made with the Rendang packet sauce that I can’t resist buying whenever I see it (found in Forest Hill’s Mr Cobbler Oriental Mini Market).
Fuchsia Dunlop’s sour and hot wood ear salad with coriander; stir-fried cabbage; and egg and tomato soup made with some leftover chicken broth I had in the fridge. The soup had loads of white pepper in it and was so simple and quick, I think I’ll make it often when I have good chicken broth now. Eaten with some dumplings from the freezer and rice.
Pepper and mushroom quiche. This is the dinner my Mum used to cook me for my birthday and I LOVE it. I used the pastry recipe here, and the same egg, cream and milk ratios, but with loads of cheddar. Lightly grilled the peppers and mushrooms as per my Mum’s instructions. I love it served with new potatoes and salad OR with chips and beans too, when you need a treat.
This linguine pomodoro was the first meal I cooked with a box of British tomatoes I was sent (thank you!!). It tasted somehow beefy, made with just olive oil, a kilo of the skinned tomatoes, sliced garlic, basil, salt and a wedge of onion, cooked down for a good 45 minutes. I think it’s true what they say about tomato and umami. I don’t eat pasta pomodoro enough considering it’s one of the best things in the world.
Keep on canning! See you in June.