Mangonada

RECIPE BY EMILY DANIELS FROM @wholesomehedonista

Tired of your usual smoothie and got an extra time on the weekend? Recreate this Mangonada by @wholesomehedonista! Mangonada is a mexican fruit drink that is sweet, citrusy and a bit spicy. The flavor combo is very interesting but super tasty! Serve this with your Bamboo Strawsfor an extra treat!

SERVES 2

INGREDIENTS

• MANGO SMOOTHIE BASE
• Mango Chunks, 4 cups (frozen)
• Orange Juice, 2 cups (add more or less per your desired consistency)
• Lime Juice, to taste (optional)
• CHAMOY SAUCE
• Dried Apricot, 1/2 cup
• Dried Ancho Chili, 1/2
• Apricot, 1/2
• Maple Syrup, 1 tbsp
• Chili Powder, 4 tsp
• Lime, 1 (juiced)
• Water, 3/4 cup
• Salt, 1/4 tsp
• TAMARIND STRAW
• Fresh Whole Tamarind, 2 pods
• Water, 1/4 cup (divided)
• Coconut Sugar, 1/2 cup
• Maple Syrup, 1 tbsp

METHOD

1. TAMARIND STRAW
1. Peel off outer shell and remove veins from fresh tamarind (remove seeds if desired).
2. Place prepared tamarind and 2 tablespoons of water in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Cook, stirring and breaking it down with a wooden spoon, until a thick paste forms (adding more water if needed to avoid burning).
3. Scoop out paste and reserve.
4. In same saucepan pour in coconut sugar, 2 tablespoons of water, and maple syrup over medium high heat.
5. Cook, stirring frequently, until fully melted and mixture begins to bubble.
6. Add back in tamarind paste and continue to cook for a few minutes until the mixture thickens (about 3-5 minutes).
7. Remove from heat and transfer to a long slender glass jar.
8. Cool slightly and then dip a Bamboo Straw in the mixture until fully coated - tilting the glass to properly coat the straw.
9. Spread chili powder out onto a plate or cutting board.
10. Gently roll the tamarind candy coated straw in the mixture until generously coated.
11. Place in freezer to harden while you prepare the rest of the mangonada.
2. CHAMOY SAUCE
1. Place dried apricot and dried chili in a bowl of water and soak briefly (about 10 minutes) to make it easier to blend (possibly longer if you don't have a powerful blender).
2. Drain dried apricot and dried chili and place them, along with fresh apricot, lime juice, maple syrup, chili powder, water, and salt in a small blender (I used a Nutribullet) until smooth and well blended.
3. Add more liquid, sweetener, or chili powder to your taste / texture preference.
3. MANGO SMOOTHIE BASE
1. Place frozen mango chunks, orange juice, and fresh lime juice (optional) in a large powerful blender.
2. Blend, using a tamper or stopping to scrape down the sides if needed, until all the ingredients are well blended.
3. Add more/less liquid if you want a thinner/thicker texture.
4. MANGONADA ASSEMBLY
1. In a mason jar or cup of choice coat the rim in lime juice and then dip in chili powder mixture for a coated rim.
2. Next spoon chamoy into glass by tilting and turning it as you pour.
3. Dust inside of glass with chili powder.
4. Pour in mango smoothie base.
5. Top with freshly chopped mango and more chamoy.
6. Sip with your tamarind straw and enjoy!

NOTES

• Feel free to make this recipe according to your skill/ effort level – you can buy tamarind straws and chamoy sauce at most Mexican grocery stores.  
• Your tamarind straw will be less like hard candy and more like a caramel texture. If you freeze it while you make the rest of the mangonada, it should be pretty firm while you sip. However, on a hot day, it may get a little sticky. I personally love the sweet, sour and spicy caramel combined with the chopped mango on top, so I embrace it when this happens. 
• Depending on how many tamarind straws you make, you will likely have extra tamarind candy paste.  This is necessary to have enough mixture to fill a long slender jar to evenly coat the straw. With my extra tamarind sauce, I like to reheat it with a little ginger, cumin, and hot sauce and then drizzle it on Indian food as a homemade tamarind chutney. Alternatively, you could freeze it and make tamarind candy chews. 

Emily believes that we all deserve the best health and healthy delicious food. She created Wholesome Hedonista, a plant-based food blog, so she can share her creative recipes that are healthy, plant-based and guilt-free even if it's cake! 

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/wholesomehedonista/

Website: https://wholesomehedonista.com/