Classy Poached Pear in Spicy Mango Nectar with Mango Ice Cream

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The sweet memories of the most awaited mango festival of summers at the famous Yadavindra Gardens at Pinjore makes me nostalgic. The mango gardens are the best feast for the eyes, with some cute little mangoes and  some big ripe mangoes hanging on the trees. The origin of the mangoes can be traced back to the foothills of himalayas of India and Burma. But now a days more than 1000 varieties of the exotic mangoes can be found around the world. Both the leaves and fruits are considered auspicious  and especially used for any rituals and festivals in India. 

Everyone in my family simply loves mangoes. I remember we had a big mango tree back home and my mom used to pick fresh mangoes in the morning and make countless recipes with this tender fruits right from spicy pickle to a rich smoothie. Last week my husband suggested we try some thing different & do some poached pears in mango syrup. After some extensive brainstorming we arrived at a recipe for poached pears in spicy mango nectar and home made Mango Ice Cream. This is by far the most adventurous we've gotten with our mangoes. I'm missing the fragrant Dussehri and Alphonso mangoes from back home. Anyways, the outcome from the mangoes from nearby supermarket was great.

For the Poached Pears I was inspired by lovely Aldy from Al dente Gourmet , if you have not visited her space, you must do - she has some great recipes & beautiful presentations !!!

King of the Fruits - Mango is looking Magnificent ... !

In this post I've made an appetizing ice cream with fresh mango pulp. The light and creamy ice cream made with the 'King of fruits' - mangoes is pretty easy to make. The pears are poached in a spicy mango and saffron nectar, giving it an elegant amber hue. Later I added more fruits (strawberries, kiwi and melon) to consume the rest of the syrup. Here are the details of the classy dessert...!

Ingredients For Poached Pears in Mango Nectar:

Pears: 2

Sugar Syrup: 1/2 cup

Mango pulp : 1/2 cup

Fruit Juice: 2 tsp (I used mango juice and pineapple juice)

Saffron: a pinch

Orange Rind: 1 tsp

Lemon Juice: 1 tsp

Cinnamon: a pinch

Mint or Basil Leaf: 1-2 (I used my garden fresh mint)

Pears are called 'gift of the Gods' by Greek Poet Laureate Homer

How to Poach the Pears on Spicy Mango Nectar:

Peel the pears and slice a bit of the bottom of the pear, so to let it stand upright. 

Leave the stem intact to insert a mint sprig later, Gently dab some lemon juice over the pear and keep it aside.

In a medium pot make sugar syrup by adding half cup of sugar to one cup of water over medium heat. Let it thicken for a while.

Add mango pulp, fruit juice, orange rind with a dash of cinnamon to the sugar syrup. 

The mango glaze is ready.

Submerge the peeled pears into the syrup and let it cook for 15 to 20 minutes on low heat, till the pears are tender and get the amber hue from the mango syrup. 

The pears should be completely immersed in the syrup. 

Let the pears cool down.

Take out the pears on a plate and garnish with either basil or mint leaf. 

I did it with mint from my pot. Drizzle some syrup over the top of the pear.

Our Poached pear shot from the top looks "Majestic"

 Enjoy the perfect pears poached in mango nectar - warm or chilled, as you like.

    The Slices of the Mango are so addictive.... ! 

Ingredients for Mango Ice cream:

Fresh Mango: 1 or Mango puree: 1/2 cup (canned)

Yogurt: 2 cups or Whipping Cream: 1 cup

Honey : 5-6 tsp or Sugar: 1/2 cup (add more/less to taste)

Cardamom Powder: 1/4 tsp

Pistachios: few, optional for garnishing

Sprigs of Mint: 2

Method:

Slice the mango length wise and scoop out the pulp from the mango.  

Gently mash the pulp with the back of the spoon and strain the pulp through a fine sieve to remove any thready fibre from the mango.

Add yogurt, honey or sugar, freshly crushed cardamoms and mango pulp in a bowl and refrigerate for half an hour.

Put all these ingredients together in  the ice cream maker and churn for 20 minutes according to the instructions. 

Take it out in an air tight container and let it firm up in the freezer for at least 2 hours.

Garnish with sprigs of fresh mint and enjoy... ! 

Mango Ice cream with fresh sprigs of Mint

Pears and Mangoes are ready to set the mood.... !

The flavor of aromatic pear complements the taste of home made mango ice cream beautifully.

A delectable dessert just for my READERS.... Hope you like it  !!!

Sharing this dessert with Culinary Smackdown Battle , Simple Lives Thursday, 40th Edition, Lets do brunch; Hearth and Soul Hop