Mango Gelatin

I visited my parents and while I was there, I had the opportunity to eat lots and lots of mango from the tree in my  parent's backyard. I think I ate a mango a day while I was there. We had so many mangoes that my mother decided to experiment and make mango gelatin. It was pretty interesting, but even though the mangoes themselves were sweet the gelatin need more sugar than what we had decided to put in it.

Gelatin powder mixed with cold milk

Mango the size of your hand!

Boiled and blended mango

Mango gelatin mixture before it sets

Finished mango gelatin

Spoon and spoonful of mango gelatin

Mango Gelatin
Ingredients

• 4 packets Knox unflavored gelatin
• 1 cup milk
• 2 med mangoes, mashed/blended until smooth
• 2 tbsp sugar

Procedure

1. Mash or blend the mangoes in a food processor or blender if you haven't already.
2. Transfer the mango blend into a pot and heat until boiled.
3. Add sugar to the mango.
4. Dissolve gelatin in a cup of cold milk. Some small clumps are alright.
5. Pour milk and gelatin mixture into the pot of hot mango and mix well, making sure the gelatin further dissolves.
6. Pour the mango gelatin mixture into a Pyrex dish and let cool/set in the refrigerate for several hours until gelatin becomes firm. Make sure to smooth out the mango mixture so that the gelatin will end up smooth instead of full of pockets where bubbles were.

Experimental Indian Curry or Keema

What could I do with a pound of ground beef? Originally I was thinking of making a dish with the beef and some left over mango. I tried to look up recipes and maybe create my own curry recipe but decided that what I wanted to do would probably turn out bad. So, I took the mango out of the equation and decided to go for an Indian dish called keema. According to wikipedia: "Keema, Kheema, or Qeema  is a traditional South Asian meat dish. Originally this word meant minced meat.^[1] It is typically minced mutton curry with peas or potatoes. Keema can be made from almost any meat, can be cooked by stewing or frying, and can be formed into kababs. Keema is also sometimes used as a filling for samosas or naan." I worked with what I had in the fridge and pantry and came up with something the my roommate and I both enjoyed. This recipe would probably have been better if I had an onion, but I only had onion soup mix. It kind of looks like chili, but with random vegetables in it. I definitely recommend yogurt or sour cream to go with it, especially if you can't handle the spiciness of the dish.

Keema in the pot

Keema served with rice and sour cream

Experimental Keema
Ingredients

• 1 lb ground beef (lean)
• 8 oz frozen mixed vegetables (the kind with peas)
• 1 1/2 tsp garam masala spice mix
• 1 clove garlic minced
• 1 tbsp butter
• 1/2 tsp cinnamon
• 1 plum tomato diced
• 1/4 tsp ground ginger
• 1/2 tsp cumin
• 1 tsp lemon juice
• 1/4 tsp red pepper flakes
• 1 tsp onion soup mix
• 1 cup chicken broth
• 8 oz can tomato sauce
• serve with sour cream on the side and some rice

Procedure

1. Melt butter in a large pot and cook the minced garlic in it. Once the garlic becomes slightly golden, add the rest of the spices and the frozen vegetables.
2. When the frozen vegetables seem mostly defrosted, add the ground beef to the pot. Break apart the meat and stir occasionally.
3. Once the beef no longer looks pink, add the chicken broth and the tomato sauce. Cover the pot and let it come to a boil. 
4. Mix pot occasionally and let simmer for about 20 minutes.
5. Serve over rice with some sour cream or plain yogurt.