Mango time

I love mangoes. I didn't always -- I don't think I really knew what one was when I was growing up: my obsession then was orange juice (it still is). I guess I first really came across them at some point in my teens and, at that point, I put them in the same category as lychees (which I'd only ever experienced from a tin). Not something I enjoyed.

But now I love mangoes. They bring back fond and sweet memories of summer; of long lazy days and calm, comforting evenings sitting around relaxing with friends over a good meal. Today I bought mangoes in the market, and this evening I made mango-lentil curry with a home version of chicken tikka and rice. It was delicious.

First of all, I gently fried some onions with ginger, garlic and chilli. When these were translucent, I added one cup of lentils, frying for a further minute or so (and at the same time starting to cook the rice by gently frying that in a different saucepan). Then I added tomatoes, cold water (two cups) and one tin of coconut milk. I added boiling water to the rice at the same time, covered the rice and then cooked it over a mid-low heat for 20 minutes until it was done. During this time I aggressively boiled the lentil mix for a while, then turned the heat down a little to let it simmer - while at the same time trying to reduce the liquid a bit. Using my griddle, I char-cooked the chicken which had been soaked in yoghurt and spices for a while. Just prior to the 20 minutes being up (for the rice), I added chopped mango and strips of red pepper to the lentils and gave it a good mix. Everything was ready all at the same time - garnished with a bit of chopped coriander and complemented by half a lime gently squeezed over the top. It was delicious!