Thread: Spice for green mango

I'm sure someone out there knows how to make the spice that comes with sliced green mangoes in Thailand. I have a big mango tree in my back yard here on Maui and noticed the fruit on it today. It gave me a craving that you wouldn't believe, probably because I just got back from Thailand 10 days ago, I was there for 5 weeks and am now suffering from withdrawal. I was thinking the green mangos might help but it wouldn't be right without the spice!

Thanks,
celtic

which one.....the one with white sugar or palm sugar ?

Mamuang Nam Pla Wan
Thai Green Mango with Sweet Fish Sauce

Ingredients
10 green mangoes
1 lb palm sugar
1/4 cup water
1/4 cup fish sauce - (nam pla)
1/2 cup chopped shallots
1/2 cup dried shrimp , ground up in a food processor or pounded in a mortar and pestle
2 finely sliced hot chili peppers

Method
1. Mix palm sugar, water and fish sauce in a pot and simmer over low heat, stirring constantly.
2. When the mixture has become a thick syrup, add the shallots.
3. Cook until shallots are tender.
4. Remove from heat and blend in dried shrimp & chili peppers.
5. Stir well, and set aside

1. Peel the mangoes and cut into thin slices (approx 1/4", but be careful not to cut them too thin).
2. Place the mango slices in a container and chill in the fridge to improve flavour and crispiness.

Green Mango crumble is better. Just treat them like apples. The Thai dips tend to ruin them imo.

I'm refering to the red powder that the street vendors give you. I think someone told me it's a mixture of salt, sugar and chili peppers.

Kop khun krap,
celtic

^ I have been told you are right,….chili powder, salt (or gà-bpì/shrimp paste) and sugar

Add something sour. In Thailand dried and ground guava and rose apple are being used to make the powder. If not available, use lemon powder, or amchur, the powder made from unripe mangoes.

Thanks to all. I'll give it a try, palm sugar and shrimp paste may be hard to find on Maui. I shound probably go by the local Thai ran ahan and ask them. Hopefully my mangoes don't turn yellow before I get it right.

Kop khun krap,

celtic

I was like that too until my Thai faan sao fed me the green ones! Now I think I prefer them green, crisp and not messy but it's the spice that really makes it. It could be that missing the GF is causing the secondary craving for the green mango since that craving will be easier to satisfy now.

Try it. You'll like it,
celtic

I’ll try it,…

But what turned me off from it the first time I saw it was when I was headed down south (Southern Thailand) with the girlfriend during my first visit here. She purchased some from a street (walking) vendor at a stop light and with her first bite she told me it wasn’t any good. I wondered why,……….it looked good, but she said it wasn’t ripe enough and they had added a coloring to the fruit. That didn’t seem too appetizing.

After I saw her eat a (what she called) fresh one and heard it crunch (like eating carrot sticks) I wasn’t that much interested because I am used to eating the soft types of mangos.

Yep, the crunch is important. 2 days ago I got out the mortar and pestle and pounded a couple of sugar cubes, some Hawaiian salt and Hawaiian chili peppers, added some chili powder til the color looked right and tasted it. I think I came pretty damn close, but I went in the back yard and there were only 4 green mangoes left on the tree. I cut them open and they were yellow on the inside not white so they were not crunchy.
Still tasted good with the spice, slightly soothed my craving, but definitly not the same. My daughter liked it though.
Now I guess I'll have to wait for the tree to fruit again in a few months and get them early when they are still white inside. Oh well, at least I'll be prepared.

celtic

Next time the mangoes start to grow, post it here, or PM me, and I'll send you a little quantity of the 'dipping sugar', and then you'll be really prepared.