Mango season is in full swing, and I can't seem to resist buying a case of mangoes. This usually means we have about a dozen mangoes in the house, and ultimately means Mango Chili Sauce time.
What Type of Mangoes do I use for Chili Sauce?
I always buy a mango called R2E2 Mango, which can weigh up to 1 kilo (2 pounds each)! R2E2 simply means Row 2 Experiment 2, from the governments mango research facility in Bowen, Queensland. R2E2 is the 3rd most popular mango sold in Australia, and is sought after for export markets. I love the giant size and the great flavour this mango gives, and it's non-fibrous or stringy like some varieties. R2E2 is NOT genetically modified, just has a funny name!
Not all mangoes are the same, you want to use mangoes that are not stringy and fibrous. If you eat a mango, and there are lots of fibres in your teeth, then it's the wrong one! Try to use fibre free mangoes. When I was in Bolivia, I made this mango sauce with wild mangoes. The flavor was good, but the fibrous pulp was difficult. After boiling and blending the mangoes, we had to strain them before continuing with the recipe. So it's possible to use common mangoes, but it requires a further step.
This mango sauce recipe is inspired by an amazing mango chili sauce we used to buy in Canada. I think it was Indian in origin, but I can't find it in Australia. My version is almost a hybrid sauce between mangoes and a sweet chili sauce. The passionfruit juice is completely optional. I have passionfruits growing in my yard, so it's easy to source for me. I like to think that they add a really subtle tropical-ness to the sauce, but don't sweat it if you don't have any! Just make sure there is no passionfruit seeds, as this will ruin the recipe.
How to Make Mango Chili Sauce
The mangoes I used weigh about 500 grams (1 lb) each, so if you are using smaller mangoes, you might need to use extra. If you want to keep the sauce looking more 'yellow' instead of orange, simply replace the red Thai chilis (Bird's Eye chilis) with spicy yellow chilis, like the Siam chili, and it will keep the sauce color more similar to a mango. If you use red bell peppers (red capsicums) it will turn the sauce quite red.
This is an easy recipe to make. Simply cook all the ingredients together before using a stick blender to combine together. You need to be careful as can will burn yourself as the mango sauce is super hot! If you'd like your sauce to be less runny, then add a corn starch slurry to thicken.
You can also use frozen mangoes if fresh aren't available. Check the ripeness and taste the sweetness of the mangoes. Unripe green mangoes will need extra sugar in the mango sauce, adjust to your taste.
Not All Chilli Peppers Are The Same!
This might seem obvious, but you'd be surprised that people don't understand the different heats of chili peppers. This recipe recommends using Thai Chili Peppers. Other peppers to use are Cayenne Peppers, or even the Charleston Hot Pepper. If you use Habanero Chili Peppers, remember they are about twice as hot as the Thai Chili Peppers. Also remember that the amount of pepper seeds you add to the recipe, greatly increases the heat. Adjust recipe accordingly to your tastes.
I love making dipping sauces like Sweet Chili Sauce or Easy Sriracha Mayo. This Sweet Mango Chilli Sauce recipe is awesome as a dip for chicken strips, shrimp, Vietnamese or Thai rolls, add to a stir fry or a salad dressing. Bon Appetit! Приятного аппетита!
Sweet Mango Chili Sauce and Dip
Ingredients
- 4 red Thai chillis - roughly chopped seeds in
- 1 yellow capsicum bell pepper chopped
- 1 cup apple cider vinegar
- 1 cup water
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 3 mangoes roughly chopped
- 1 cup sugar
- juice of 1 lime
- 4 tablespoons passionfruit juice optional
Instructions
- Chop and deseed the chillis. You can decide on the amount of heat you want in your sauce by the amount of seeds you leave.
- In a saucepan, place all the ingredients, except the cornstarch, and bring to a boil over medium high heat. Simmer for 20 minutes.
- Remove from heat. Using a stick blender, carefully blend the mango sauce until smooth and all lumps and chillis are blended. Remember it's very hot! Don't burn yourself!
- OPTIONAL - only if sauce is very runny. Return to heat and return to simmer. Take 1 tablespoon of cornstarch and mix with 2 tablespoons of cold water makeing a slurry. Add the corn starch slurry to the mango sauce and cook for a few minutes until it thickens.
- Place into a clean sterilised jar, allow to cool and keep refrigerated.
Notes
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