Aam ras is a popular and staple Indian dessert enjoyed during summer season. This chilled summer dessert made easily with ripe, fresh and juicy Indian mangoes. It can be optionally flavoured using spices such as ginger powder or cardamom and saffron. The best Keri no ras is not just sweet but has the slightest hint of tartness too and I think this actually helps bring out the sweetness more. Aamras translates as Aam (mango) and ras (juice), litreally it translates Mango Juice but it is really Mango Pulp. The pulp is extracted by hand (usually in keen anticipation of the treat to come) and then blended smooth. Mango ras is a popular dessert that can be enjoyed on its own or after having a spicy Indian meal. This recipe is Gujarati style mango ras which is enjoyed with piping hot Poori – a deep fried Indian bread. This meal called Aam Ras Puri
Why you’ll love this recipe
Vegetarian can be made vegan too. Egg free, gelatin free and gluten-free dessert Quick, healthy sweet treat Easy and made with handful of ingredients
Gujarati keri no ras will have:
Every region in India will have their own interpretation of Aamras, but this is the version that I have grown up with. Ginger powder – apparently to help with the digestion of the ras but also tastes amazing! It gives a delicious complementary flavor Ghee – pure butter ghee is swirled through the ras to make it even silkier Traditional Gujarati keri no ras has nothing more added to it than these few ingredients – if other spices are added then it is no longer authentic Gujarati ras.
The traditional method of making mango ras
My Mum would tell me how she would see her elderly next-door neighbour sat outside preparing the ras. She would sit with a big box of mangoes, massage them all gently and then squeeze out the pulp into a bowl – all by hand and all whilst gossiping with the other women. These were the days before blenders were readily available making this traditional way something of an art form. Now, we have high-speed blenders to do the back-breaking work for us and we are rewarded with the silkiest and smoothest mango pulp.
How to choose the best Mangoes from the store
The trick is to choose some mangoes that have not yet fully ripened so you can stagger eating them. Once the mangoes ripen, they will spoil very quickly. look for the skin to be as close to orange as possible without discolouration or black spots Mangoes that are soft to touch and fragrant are ready to eat.
Why is ras made with Kesar mangoes?
To help answer the question of which mangoes are best for ras, we have to know the properties of the various types. Alphonso mangoes are a little firmer and are great eaten on their own. Folks in Maharastra, uses Alphonso (Hapus or Hafus) to make Mango ras. In Gujarat, Kesar Mangoes available in abundant. Kesar is softer and mushier and sometimes will not cut as well, making it a great candidate for making keri no ras. However, in our house ras is made and enjoyed using alphonso and kesar mangoes.
Why do we soak the mangoes first?
According to Ayurveda, ripe mangoes are warm for the body. If you come from a South Asian background, you may have heard of the elders mentioning how certain foods are “hot” or “cold”. This has nothing to do with the temperature of the food, but rather, Ayurvedic medicine suggests that certain foods have either a “warming” or “cooling” effect on the body depending on how they are metabolised. Mangoes are a “warm” food so soaking them beforehand is thought to take away that effect and make them “cool”.
Leftover Mango Seeds
Do not throw away the seeds but either make mukhwas (an Indian mouth fresher) or add to your compost.
Serving Suggestions
Summers are incompletet without aamras poori or aamras puri feast in any Indian households. Often this sweet aamras served with spicy or tikhi puri, the sweet and savory combination is delightful. Aamras poori is a popular meal that is often served at weddings and other celebrations and festivals. In Gujarati households all around the world, this mango pulp is served in a small bowl (vatki) alongside the meal as a side sweet dish. Aamras devoured with soft puris or rotlis/chapatis along side Gujarati daal, rice, Bateta Nu Saak (suki bhaji), Stuffed Bhinda Nu Saak or Cauliflower and Potato Curry Because of mangoes have short season, in many households, Keri No Ras is made and enjoyed every day at lunchtime with Be Padi Rotli or Padwari Rotli (layered roti) another speciality of Gujarati cuisine. Some people love to eat keri no ras with milk and drink it as a milkshake, after adding milk consume straight away. Drizzle some Mango ras on the ice cream or a cake. To freeze aamras (pureed mangoes) first make the pulp do not add anything. Put it into either a freezer safe zip lock bags or containers. Just fill small freezer sealable bags. If using a zip-lock bags stack them flat in the freezer, much easier to store. It will keep in the freezer for 12 months. Every year we buy fresh Indian mangoes in bulk, blend them and store extra mango ras in the freezer for later use. Use them for making lassi, smoothie or any desserts at a later date during Diwali or winter months.
Aam Ras Ingredients
- Mangoes – get best, undamaged, ripe and fresh mangoes to make mango pulp/ras.
- Sugar – regular granulated sugar. If you are getting very sweet mangoes, sugar is not needed.
- Dry ginger or soonth powder
- Ghee – can not imagine Gujarati style keri no ras without ghee. Vegans can skip it. If you would like to make and enjoy Maharashtra or Rajasthani Mango Ras, skip ginger powder and ghee. Instead use Saffron- Cardamom powder or Nutmeg powder – adds some delicious floral taste to mango ras. It could also be used in conjunction with saffron. For Consistancy Water – thin it out slightly Milk – it will provide a little creaminess. Gujarati Keri No Ras is made by blending mangoes, sugar and very little water into a smooth pulp. Then flavoured with ginger powder and ghee. Adding milk is not necessary.
How to extract mango pulp without a blender
This traditional method is highly time-consuming, messy and requires a bit of skill but the end result is to die for. This method will give you slighly chunkier version (lacchedar) ras. First, soak the mangoes in water overnight or in cold water for 2-3 hours.
Where to buy
If fresh mangoes are not available, you can make Aamras recipe with mango pulp. Canned mango pulp or frozen mango chunks are easily available in most of the supermarkets and all Indian grocery stores or even online.
How to make Homemade Mango Pulp with Blender
Easiest and most common.
- Wash and cut ripe mangoes into slices.
- Remove the skin.
- Roughly chop and blend it in the blender.
- You may add little water, and sugar and blend it again until smooth and silky.
- Chill in the fridge, serve with ginger powder and ghee. However, most of the times canned mango pulp are packed with sugar and additives. Always check lables or read the ingredients that doesn’t have added sugar. You can add sugar or other sweetner according to your taste. Add flavours such as ginger, cardamom or saffron and chill in the fridge for a couple of hours before serving.
What can you make from mango ras
Mango Shrikhand or Matho Mango, Passionfruit and Coconut Lassi Indian Mango Lassi Paneer Kheer with Mango No-bake Mango and Ginger Cheesecake Mango Pancakes Fajeto Mango Kadhi Mango and Ginger Muffins Vegan Mango, Coconut and Lime Cake Mango, Almond and Coconut Ladoo Mango Kalakand
