Mango Rasayana: A Scrumptious Karnataka-Style Sweet Dish
Image Credit: Mango Rasayana

Mango is the king of fruits for a reason. Not only is its flavour unrivalled, but also it is so versatile that it can be made into any interesting recipe. Mango dishes require minimal ingredients as the luscious flavour of mango is enough to satisfy the taste buds. There is a huge variety of Indian mango recipes, from sweet to savoury, but what is remarkable is that each mango recipe is different from the next, even though there might be very slight similarities.

Karnataka-style Mango Rasayana or Mavina Seekarane is one such example. It is somewhat similar to a combination of aamras and aam kheer but, at the same time, quite different as well. It is not only an easy recipe to make but also innovative. Mango Rasayana brings together three complementary ingredients: mango, coconut milk, and jaggery, which lend a sweet and smooth taste and a delightful creamy texture.

The coconut milk can either be made at home, by grating the coconut, then making a paste with water in a mixie, and finally extracting the milk from it. If one is pressed for time, then ready-made coconut milk from the store will do too. The dish is then spiced with a pinch of cardamom powder and salt, which adds an extra zing. The consistency of the Mango Rasayana is thick, which makes it quite filling. It can be either eaten by itself or as a light meal with an accompaniment, such as poori/chapathi.

Mango Rasayana 

Mango has some health benefits, for example it is believed to contain antioxidants, be good for the hair and skin, could help in digestion, and is said to be good for the eyes. Rasayana is a dessert that can also be made with banana, coconut milk, and jaggery. Mango Rasayana is the other variant.

Here is the recipe for Mango Rasayana. 

Ingredients: 

    3 ripe mangoes 

    1 coconut 

    ½ a piece of jaggery 

    1 tsp cardamom powder

    1 tsp salt 

    Water

Method: 

    Wash the mangoes well. 

    Cut the mangoes, peel it, and keep the peels aside. 

    Cut the peeled mango into small pieces. 

    Put the mango pieces into a bowl.

    Wash the peels in water and make a juice out of it. 

    Pour into the same bowl as the cut mangoes, cut the jaggery into small pieces, add to the mixture, mix well, and keep aside for 10 minutes.

    Grate the coconut, add half cup of water, and grind in a mixie.

    Strain the mixture to extract the coconut milk. 

    Add the coconut milk into the bowl of mango pieces and mango juice, and mix well.

    Add salt and cardamom powder, and mix well. 

Mango Rasayana can be enjoyed by itself as a dessert, served as a side dish, or eaten either with hot puris/chapatis or with flattened rice.