Posted on: Wednesday, July 28, 2004
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LIGHT & LOCAL
Mango memories in pudding
By Carol Devenot
Last week, I took two of my friends to lunch at a delightful Chinese restaurant in Chinatown. We ordered an assortment of dishes, family style. Being the niele cook that I am, I wanted to try their mango pudding — not a pudding, really, but a gelatin dessert, also known as mango doufu.
It brings back memories of growing up in Kaimuki. My dad used to pick ripe mangoes with his homemade hook. He used to put the half-ripe ones in a paper bag to ripen quicker. Later, when I became a food science teacher, I found out this ripening trick is actually based on science. The paper bags tend to keep the gases from the fruit in, but are porous enough to allow oxygen to pass through.
Advertiser library photo I like to use fructose to sweeten foods because you don't have to use too much, as you do with common white sugar. You can depend on the natural sugars from the mangoes to sweeten the dessert. Two-thirds of a cup of fructose is equal to 1 cup of sugar. Fructose is available in grocery, health food, and drug stores in Hawai'i.
For a creamy texture, use fat-free evaporated milk. To thicken the mixture, use unflavored gelatin or kanten (seaweed-based, vegan jelling agent). Ice cubes hasten the chilling process.
To take it over the top, sprinkle the mango pudding with ling hing powder, a Chinese seasoning made with prunes, salt, water, sugar, dextrose, preservatives, and food coloring. It is used as a sweet-sour seasoning on dried seeds, candy, fresh and dried fruit, and even in cakes. It can be found in most local stores. 'Onolicious and nutritious!
Mango Pudding
Cut up fresh mangos to fill 3 cups, or use 3 cups thawed frozen mangos, and process them in food processor until smooth. (Or you can try keeping it a little chunky and see how you like it.)
Put the gelatin and fructose in a small bowl; add hot water, and stir until thoroughly dissolved.
In a bowl, mix processed mangos, evaporated milk and ice cubes. Pour gelatin mixture into mango mixture and stir until all the ice cubes are melted.
Pour mixture into 8 glass cups and chill for at least 3 hours. Garnish with fresh hand-diced mango or lychee halves, lightly sprinkled li hing powder and a sprig of mint.
Serves 8.
• Per serving: 151 calories, 4 grams protein, 0.18 gram fat, 36 grams carbohydrates, 1 gram dietary fiber. Next column: Aug. 11, Thai curry. Want a local recipe lightened up? Write Light & Local, Taste Section, Honolulu Advertiser, P.O. Box 3110, Honolulu, HI 96802; or e-mail taste@honoluluadvertiser.com.
Carol Devenot is a kama'aina teacher and recipe consultant, and author of "Island Light Cuisine" (Blue Sea Publishing, paper, 2003). Learn more at islandlightcuisine.com.
Nowadays, though, no mo' mango! Fortunately, Chinatown and the local produce stands sell mangos — but not cheap! The local mangos are the best, but if you can't get them, you can buy the imported varieties in the supermarkets and Costco. I have even used frozen mangoes.
Fresh or even frozen mangoes can be made into a creamy dessert pudding.
