Mango Pudding Recipe

Last Friday we went to a Burmese restaurant in Daly City
that was just fabulous. We ordered way too much food at Little Yangon that
there was little room for dessert. After a lengthy conversation with chef/owner
Khinn Ma Ma, we realized that our parking meter was nearly out and hurriedly
asked for the check. She promptly responded but also sent us off with a
complimentary mango pudding to “sweeten our palate.” It was gelled with agar so
the texture was very firm. Flavorwise, it was delicately sweet – much like the
mango pudding that you get at dim sum restaurants, which I seldom order. Such mango puddings are
often made with evaporated milk, which kind of deadens the fresh brightness of mango.
After I had a few bites, I thought about making my own, without evaporated
milk.

If you’re not familiar with mango pudding, it has British colonial roots in India but is
super popular tropical Asia, though it’s not a major deal in Vietnam. Sometimes
the pudding is soft like a custard but 
while other times it is super firm like jello. The former is generally
thickened with cornstarch while the latter is gelled with agar agar or
gelatine. I like the firm, jello-like texture but admit that it's not a luscious pudding per se. However in the Asian mindset, this sweet snack hails from the pudding family but got changed along the way to fit local situations. 

Given the Indian roots, I decided to make a pudding that had
echoed a bit of mango lassi but gelled with agar agar, a seaweed based gelatinizing agent that’s super popular
in East and Southeast Asia. Agar agar is vegetarian and will set liquids at
room temperature.  (Very cool and
convenient.) The telephone brand of powdered agar agar is stocked at most
Chinese and Southeast Asian markets.  

For the mango, I tried fresh
and canned. The giant Keitt mango (mine weighed 1 ½ pounds!) is sweet and
virtually stringless. Canned sweetened mango puree from India is crazy good and
burnt orange in color. It’s usually sold at Indian markets and labeled
according to mango breed. Alphonso and Kesar mangos are terrific.  The cans are big but you can keep leftover
puree refrigerated for days after opening.

This photo of the mango pudding casted as lucky koi fish shows the color difference between fresh and canned mango: 

The canned mango had a more intense flavor, due to the Alphonso mango's flavor. But the Keitt fresh mango was very good and more accessible!

As a little fun note,
I dug up a koi fish gelatin mold purchased in Melbourne a few years back and
poured the mango mixture into it. The result was lucky mango gold fish:

Asian jello/agar agar molds are often sold at restaurant and
houseware shops in Chinese and Southeast Asian neighborhoods. Or, just eat the
mango pudding from a rice bowl. I had some tiny frais de bois strawberries in
the garden and topped mine with it. Buttermilk imparted a nice tang that I
like.

Additional tweaks:
 Instead of yogurt, you could probably
use coconut cream for a vegan approach. If you don’t have agar agar, use 1 ½
teaspoons gelatine and heat with the water over low heat, whisking, until
dissolved; refrigerate, uncovered, to firm up.

RECIPE

Mango Pudding

Yield:  Makes about 6 servings

Ingredients

• 1 pound / 450 g fresh mango flesh, or 2 cups / 480 ml canned
  sweetened mango
• ½ cup / 120 ml Greek yogurt, full or 2 % fat
• About ⅔ cup /  4.67
  oz / 130 g sugar
• 1 to 3 tablespoons lightly packed dark brown sugar
• 2 to 3 teaspoons fresh lime juice
• 1 ¼ cups / 300 ml lukewarm water
• 2 teaspoon agar-agar powder
• Optional garnishes: Cream/buttermilk/coconut milk, diced
  fresh mango, strawberries, fresh mint

Instructions

1. If using fresh mango, process or blend it with the yogurt
   until smooth. Pass through a coarse mesh strainer positioned over quart (liter)
   size measuring cup, stirring with a spatula. Discard stringy bits. If using
   canned sweetened mango, just put it into the measuring cup.
2. Regardless of mango type, sweeten it with the regular and
   brown sugar. Add the granulated sugar by the ¼ cup (1.75 oz / 50 g) and brown
   sugar by the tablespoon. Make it sweeter than you’re comfortable with because
   it will be diluted by the water later on. Add lime juice to brighten the
   flavor. Set aside.
3. Find some rice bowls or the like, or molds to gel the mango
   pudding in. You’ll have roughly 3 ½ cups (840 ml) to deal with. Set by the
   stove.
4. Put the  water in a
   saucepan. Sprinkle on the agar agar. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat,
   whisking constantly, to dissolve the agar agar. Turn off the heat, pour in the
   mango mixture, whisking to combine well. Pour the mixture back into the
   measuring cup for easier portioning.
5. With little hesitation, divide the mango between your bowls
   or molds. If you like, push surface bubbles to the side. Set at room
   temperature to cool and firm up, 1 to 2 hours. Cover and refrigerate
   afterwards. Serve slightly chilled or at room temperature. Top with a drizzle
   of cream, buttermilk or coconut milk if you want a rich touch. Add the fresh
   fruit for flourish and color. Eat with spoons.