Mango curry, raw green mangoes, peeled and cut into fours, then cooked in water spiced with cinnamon, red chilli powder, and sugar.
We simmer the mango in this sweet and spicy syrup until the mango turns soft and absorbs all the flavours.
My grandmother’s sweet and spicy mango curry.
This was cooked regularly in our home and is the ultimate”rice puller”. To this day, it’s one of our favourite curry recipes. gluten-free, vegan and vegetarian.
I mentioned this mango recipe in another of my grandmother’s slow-cooked beef curry recipes.
Growing up in a large family, this was my absolute favourite dish(and still is).
I made sure to hang around my grandmother when she made it so I could get a few extra mango pieces before everyone rushed in for meals.
I’m a bit biased, but I still think no one made a mango curry like my grandmother.
You can dip the mango pieces and enjoy them soaked in a sweet and spicy syrup-like gravy.
You can also dip pieces of bread and enjoy the mango sauce. This is what comfort food is for me.
What to serve with this sweet mango curry.
- Serve with any type of rice dish.
- vegetarian and vegan curries to serve with this mango recipe.
- Meat, chicken, and seafood curries to pair with this mango dish.
Tips and questions for sweet mango curry.
- Questions.
- What type of Mangoes do you need for a sweet and spicy mango curry?
- You can’t use overly ripe or ripe mangoes(almost ripe mangoes).
- You need green and firm mangoes with no give to the touch.
- Where can I find green mangoes?
- Check at any fruit stalls or Asian stores.
- Any variety of unripe mango can be used to make this vegan curry.
- Can I adjust the sweetness of this mango curry?
- Once the sugar cooks down, it turns thick and syrupy, which gives the mango its sweet and spicy flavour combination.
- What type of Mangoes do you need for a sweet and spicy mango curry?
More mango recipes.
Sinhalese mango curry(amba maluwa).
What you will need in the kitchen.
- Cutting board and knife
- A cleaver to cut through the mango and the seed.
- A small paring knife or peeler to remove the mango skin.
- A medium-sized pan to cook the mango curry
Storage, freezing and reheating guide.
- Storage.
- The sweet and spicy mango curry can be refrigerated for a week.
- Freezing.
- It can be made and stored for 3 weeks.
- Reheating.
- Leave it out to reach room temperature before you heat it for a few seconds in a microwave.
RECIPE DIFFICULTY-EASY
Ingredients to cook sweet and spicy mango curry.
- Oil
- large onion sliced fine.
- Curry leaves(substitute with a bay leaf).
- Cardamom pods are slightly bruised.
- Mustard seeds.
- Turmeric powder.
- Red chilli powder(add extra if needed).
- Red chilli flakes.
- Sugar.
- Raw mangoes.
- Water as needed.
- Salt to season
- How to cook Sri Lankan mango curry
How to cook Sri Lankan mango curry
How to cut and peel the green Mangoes.
- Since the mangoes are raw, you will have to use a cleaver to cut through the thick skin and seed.
- Leave the skin on the mango while you are using the cleaver to separate the mangoes.
- Keep in mind, we are not slicing the mangoes here but separating each mango into four.
- This can only be done if the mango is raw, or it’ll turn into mush.
- I would avoid doing this on the counter, I usually place an old wooden chopping board on a hard, durable surface(the floor should be fine).
- Use the cleaver to whack down hard to separate it in half and then into four pieces.
- I found it difficult to cut through it even with a cleaver. Should this happen, use a pestle to hit the blunt side of the cleaver, which will apply more energy for the knife to cut through the raw mango seed.
- For safety reasons, I would advise you not to have the kids around when you do this; you can even do this outside your kitchen, on a rough, durable surface.
- Once you cut each mango into four parts, dig out the seeds and then peel off the skin.
- Don’t leave any seed residue in, as this will only cause bitterness to the mango curry as it cooks.
Once you have the mango pieces cut and peeled, wash and leave them out to drain excess water.
Cooking the Mango curry.
Place a pan on medium heat, and let it warm before adding the ingredients.
Pour in the oil, and add the sliced onions, curry leaves, cardamom pods, chilli and turmeric.
Cook the ingredients for three minutes or until the onion caramelises.
Add the mustard seed just a minute before you move on to the next step.
Reduce the fire to low and add the raw mangoes to the tempering ingredients.
Combine and cook for 2 minutes.
Add the water, followed by sugar.
Increase the heat to medium and stir the water with the mango pieces and tempering.
Cover with a lid and slow simmer for 45 minutes or until the water is reduced by half.
You will notice the mangoes gradually turning soft.
Check on the mango halfway through the cooking time; if you notice the Mangoes are still hard, add extra water to soften the mango.
Season with salt and then let the water reduce over medium heat.
Taste and add sugar, salt or chilli powder to balance the taste.
Leave it to cook for at least 10 minutes on medium heat.
You’ll notice the water and liquid become thick.
leave the mango curry to cook until it turns soft and the sweet and spicy gravy turns thick.
Remove from the stove and leave it to cool.
Serve with any of the side dish ideas and rice recipes given above.
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mango curry
Mango curry, raw green mangoes, peeled and cut into fours and then cooked in water spiced with cinnamon, red chilli powder and sugar.
Simmered until the mango turns soft and absorbs all the sweet and spicy flavours.
This was cooked regularly in our home and is the ultimate”rice puller”.
To this day it’s one of our favourite curry recipes.
Ingredients
- Ingredients to make mango curry
- 4 tablespoons of oil
- 1 large onion sliced fine
- A handful of curry leaves(substitute with a bay leaf)
- 3-4 cardamom pods slightly bruised
- 1 teaspoon of mustard seeds
- 1/4 teaspoon turmeric
- 2 teaspoons of chilli powder( add extra if needed)
- 1/2 teaspoon of chilli flecks)
- 1/2 to 1 cup of sugar(if you are worried that the sugar content is too much, keep adding a few tablespoons until you reach your preference on how sweet it should be).
- 4 raw mangoes, each cut into four and peeled
- 2 and 1/2 cups of water
- Salt to season
Instructions
How to cut and peel the green mangoes.
- Since the mangoes are raw, you will have to use a cleaver to cut through the thick skin and seed.
- Leave the skin on the mango while you are using the cleaver to separate the mangoes.
- Keep in mind, we are not slicing the mangoes here, but separating each mango into four.
- This can only be done if the mango is raw, or it’ll turn into mush.
- I would avoid doing this on the counter, I usually place an old wooden chopping board on a hard, durable surface(the floor should be fine).
- Use the cleaver to whack down hard to separate in half and then into four pieces.
- I found it difficult to cut through it even with a cleaver. Should this happen, use a pestle to hit over the blunt side of the cleaver, which will apply more energy for the knife to cut through the raw mango seed.
- For safety reasons, I would advise not to have the kids around when you do this; you can even do this outside your kitchen, on a rough, durable surface.
- Once you cut each mango into four parts, dig out the seeds and then peel off the skin.
- Don’t leave any seed residue in, as this will only cause bitterness to the mango curry as it cooks.
Cooking the Mango curry.
- Place a pan on medium heat, and let it warm before adding the ingredients.
- Pour in the oil, and add the sliced onions, curry leaves, cardamom pods, chilli and turmeric.
- Cook the ingredients for three minutes or until the onion caramelises.
- Add the mustard seed just a minute before you move on to the next step.
- Reduce the fire to low and add the raw mangoes to the tempering ingredients.
- Combine and cook for 2 minutes.
- Add the water, followed by sugar.
- Increase the heat to medium and stir the water with the mango pieces and tempering.
- Cover with a lid and slow simmer for 45 minutes or until the water reduces by half.
- You will notice the mangoes gradually turning soft.
- Check on the mango halfway through the cooking time, and add extra water to soften the mango.
- Season with salt and then let the water reduce over medium heat.
- Taste and add sugar, salt or chilli powder to balance the taste.
- Leave it to cook for at least 10 minutes on medium heat. You’ll notice the water and liquid become thick.
- leave the mango curry to cook until it turns soft and the sweet and spicy gravy turns thick.
- Remove from the stove and leave it to cool.
- Serve with any of the side dish ideas and rice recipes given above.
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Nutrition Information:
Yield: 4 Serving Size: 1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 656Total Fat: 19gSaturated Fat: 2gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 16gCholesterol: 19mgSodium: 213mgCarbohydrates: 120gFiber: 8gSugar: 109gProtein: 12g
Nutrition facts are an estimate and not guaranteed to be accurate. Please see a registered dietitian for special diet advice.
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Niloba Naidoo
Tuesday 24th of October 2023
Hi I am a South African Indian and it’s also made here as well. Some people make it without the chilli or curry powder. My late mum used to make it the same way u do using curry powder and I do as well. Have been craving it recently as mangoes are in season now in Durban , South Africa. Looking at your pics is bringing back memories. Looking forward to trying some of your other recipes. Thanks
jehan
Wednesday 25th of October 2023
Hi Niloba, Thank you for commenting here, I think most of Indian and Sri Lankan share similarities in food. I hope you can try the recipe out and let me know if you enjoyed it. regards, J
Thulitha Jayasooriya
Sunday 3rd of May 2020
It was so delicious. Never knew it was that easy to make. Thank you so much for sharing this mouth watering dish. My family simply loved it.
jehan
Monday 4th of May 2020
Hi Thulitha, thank you for trying out the recipe and happy that you enjoyed the mango curry with the family. regards J