Mango Sorbet

Mango Sorbet 

The season for mangoes is coming to an end. My favourite variant , Gulab Khas had already bid adieu some time back and the only other variant which I am getting here in Kolkata is the 'Langa'. I love variants of mango with a sweet and tangy taste.

Most people in India love mangoes and consider mangoes to be the King of all fruits. I personally love them but I do love other fruits as well.

My mother particularly adored them and since she is very choosy I was quite happy with the dish even though I found it a little bit on the higher side of the sweetness meter but the tangy taste from lemon balanced it out .

 I followed the recipe to almost a tee from Larousse Gastronomique and the result was  outstanding with almost no ice crystals at all. It was  the sugar syrup which prevents ice crystals and along with the lemon juice made it a perfectly refreshing delicacy. So even without a sorbetiere or ice-cream maker this recipe gave me smooth velvety sorbet.

1 kilogram mangoes which is peeled and gives 530gm mango puree (I used the Langda variety of amngoes)
250ml sugar (Make a syrup with 330gm sugar and 500ml water. Simmer it till it  reaches 106 Centigrade and comes down to 250ml of sugar syrup. Takes 10 minutes 15 minutes or so)
Juice from 1 big lemon


Make the syrup and add a bit of lemon juice which prevents crystallization of the syrup. The recipe is particularly easy. Peel the mangoes and de-seed them and then blend the pulp and then strain it. Mix it with the syrup and juice of lemon and whisk well. Freeze it and scoop out delicious balls of mango sorbet.

Please note that I did not keep track of the exact amount of time it took me to make the syrup. I used a candy thermometer and when it reached 106 C and was bubbling away I switched it off but its definitely for 10minutes and a bit more. 

Strawberry Sorbet

Strawberry Sorbet

Everybody knows that Strawberry is not really a tropical fruit. To be fair 15 years ago it was quite unheard of in India expect for a few hilly areas. 15 years ago I was quite young as well. Anyway the point is ever since the craze of strawberries has hit India we enjoy these lovely tart fruits all throughout the winter season.

In Kolkata we mostly get out share of strawberries from Nepal for the ones which are of a better quality and then there are the ones from Maharasthra but its not during the summers that we enjoy these delicious red fruits but its the winter season when we enjoy them .

 It usually lasts from end of November till about the beginning of March but then when someone from the Western hemisphere asked for ideas to use up her freshly picked strawberries I suddenly remembered this delicious Strawberry sorbet I had made this February. To be fair the winters are just about pleasant in Calcutta and so during the winters sorbets and ice-creams are much loved in my house as it is during any other season.

I have tried making sorbet with different fruits following different recipes but never have they turned out this good. This was following Larousse's recipe and it was lip smacking good. Its easy to make and all you need is a whisk and the freezer compartment of your refrigerator along with an air-tight container.

Recipe Source : Adapted from Larousse Gastronomique

What you need :-

500gm of fresh juicy strawberry
150gm caster sugar
Juice from 1/2 a lemon

Wash and hull the strawberries and macerate with the sugar and lemon juice and wait overnight before you blend it to make a smooth mixture. Freeze it till just about frozen. it took me 2 hours or so and scoop out and enjoy this refreshing sorbet.

Important tip :-

To avoid ice crystals eat it just after it has frozen. it if over freezes you then get your ice crystals.

Papaya Sorbet

Papaya Sorbet 

Summers for me remains incomplete without some delicious fruit sorbet. I mean ice-creams are obviously great except that you feel guilty because you have this crazy fear that you might soon resemble the round scoops and then again personally speaking all that cream and sweetness makes me thirsty for some reason. For me summers are essentially the perfect time for tangy fruity treats and so since mangoes , though abundantly available in the market still needs a few more days for the best variety to be available as per my fruit seller I present Papaya sorbet. Its nutritious tangy and delicious

Recipe courtesy: Martha Stewart with adjustment of amount of  ingredients

What you need :-

700gm of papaya peeled de-seeded and chopped
Juice from two lemons which give you around 2 tbsp juice
2 tbsp sugar
4 tbsp water
1.5 tsp honey
Lemon juice for serving (optional)

What you basically do is make a syrup with 2 tbsp sugar and 4 tbsp water and then blend the papaya , honey, syrup , once the syrup has cooled down and then freeze it. After 1 hour use a fork to break the ice crystals and do this thrice with a gap of an hour in-between each forking and then freeze for 5 hours to 6 hours. When serving dip your ice-cream scooper in warm water and make lovely fresh fruity balls to be enjoyed. if its too hot use a squeeze of lemon juice on top to make it extra refreshing.

This is part of the event Beat the Heat