Mad about Mangoes

As a kid if you have ever eaten a ripe, juicy mango in the heat of the Indian summer, you know what I am talking about. As kids we would get a mango every afternoon after lunch. We would squeeze them all around to get the juices flowing and then tear off one side to get to the juice and the fibrous, sweet flesh. By the time we finished it off our arms and faces would be sticky with mango juice but our tummies would be happy in a way no dessert could equal.

As I grew a little older I was allowed to scrape the flesh off the Hapoos mangoes for the aamras. My siblings and I would fight over the dibs for the mango skins and scrape them clean with our teeth. Those summers were magical and heavenly; when the scent of mangoes hung in the kitchen and after lunch we would darken the common room and start the cooler fan. In that dark, cool room satiated with a good lunch and bowls of aamras, everyone would fall asleep for the noon.
In the US, it is hard to get good mangoes at the local Indian grocery store so I sometimes buy the canned mango pulp. But the canned stuff is too sweet and has an aftertaste that is hard to explain and not easy to get used to. I usually use this pulp to make mango lassi (with yogurt) or mango shakes (with milk). The other day I found a recipe for mango sorbet and decided to give it a try.
The original recipe calls for fresh mangoes but since I had the canned pulp I decided to improvise. The result was a creamy sorbet with just a hint of coconut and the crunch of cashew nuts.
This is also my entry to SHF 2009 event hosted by Mansi. The event calls for the recipe to include at least a fruit and a nut. I wrongly assumed coconut to be a nut but a search on the net revealed it is in fact a seed! Who knew? This also goes to Srivalli’s Mango Mela and to  Ben's Homemade #5 Challenge .

Mango Coconut Sorbet

Ingredients:

1 can (1 lb 14 oz) of mango pulp
1 can (14 oz) can of coconut milk
1 tbsp roasted and coarsely crushed cashews
Cardamom powder to taste (optional)

Mix the mango pulp and coconut milk in a freezer safe container.
Pop it in the freezer for two hours or till is just about sets. Take it out and with an electric hand mixer beat the pulp to break up the ice crystals.
Whipping the pulp this way also infuses it with air and makes the sorbet light and fluffy.
Repeat three to four times, every couple of hours till the desired consistency is achieved.
Serve garnished with cashews (which is a nut) and coconut flakes. Sprinkle cardamom powder to enhance the taste of mangoes and serve chilled.