BAKED AAMRAS

It is the season of mangoes to sweep away our senses. It is considered the king of all fruits among us. We love and have it regular. When it is mangoes, who stops at one? Not even this diabetic self. I remember our father's favourite breakfast in this season is ripe mango with puffed  or popped or beaten rice and milk till date. It may be typical of those Hindu Bengalis from East Pakistan [Now Bangladesh] who migrated to India decades back. My father proudly would say his family whilst in East Pakistan never bought mango from the market. They got from their own trees, had in huge quantity. Here we fail to understand their psychology and laugh it out. The fact is even the humblest owned house, small garden, dairy farm. One fine morning they had to leave everything behind, migrate, take shelter as unwanted guests in relative's houses, even in shanties. Our father came to Kolkata in early 60's for higher studies, never could embrace city life, not Kolkata but his heart lied in his birthplace throughout.

That pain of loss we will not understand who got everything in a platter. From that penny less point they did soar high within a decade. Many refugees won back lost pride, many families drowned for ever. When they speak of their past glory, we can give a patient ear, they feel happy. May be all of them were not zaminders in the truest sense but they lived in their own home, ate their own produce! Our house helps in DumDum from "Naihatir Bou" to "Shibani Mashi" to "Paran er Maa Dida", everyone used to say they had landed properties with farmlands & diary farm!

Coming back to track, ever since we landed in this island, our mother would lament over phone that she cannot feed us mango from her family garden. All attempts to convince her that we eat a lot of mangoes here which also grow in trees, goes in vein. I let her say these as I understand her feelings. This evening I saw two slightly overripe mangoes in the refrigerator. I had to do something with them, my family wouldn't want overly ripened ones as fruit. Hence, I prepared this BAKED AAMRAS which was quick and easy to prepare.

INGREDIENTS :

Mango : 2
Boiled Thickened Milk : 1 cup

Sugar : 3 tbsp
Cornflour : 1 tsp
Green Cardamom Powder : 1/4 tsp
Pistachios : To garnish [optional]

METHOD :

Preheat the oven to 160* C. Mine is a convection mode microwave oven!

Peel the mangoes and get the pulp. Put the mango pulp, thickened milk, sugar, cornflour and green cardamom powder in a blender.

Blend the mango pulp, milk, sugar, green cardamom powder together.

Pour into  an ovenproof glassware.

Bake at 160* for about 20-25 minutes; placing the low height wired stool inside, preheat.

Place atop the wired stool the mango filled glassware! Bake at 160* for about 20-25 minutes.

Keep at rest few minutes, take out and let cool.

Garnish with Pistachios, chill in the refrigerator for few hours; serve and have!