Sweet, spicy, and sour, this delicious mango curry is a Sri Lankan classic. Quick and easy to make and packed with a great depth of flavor, like any good curry, thanks to a robust curry powder.
Perfect dish to use up green mangoes that are a little underripe.
It’s that time of the year when juicy, ripe, sweet mangoes are hitting the shelves at our local market.
If we are lucky, the mangoes go on sale while they are still in prime condition (and not overripe), but since my husband and I are both really good at choosing the best mangoes, we can generally avoid the disappointing ones.
We almost always go for the ones that are just ripe or slightly underripe. Those ones that are not quite fully ripe yet are absolutely PERFECT for this Sri Lankan mango curry!
A traditional, authentic mango curry
My husband grew up eating fruit curries like this mango curry and apple curry and jackfruit curry etc. in Sri Lanka, which are common side dishes served with rice.
I, on the other hand, loved snacking on fresh, juicy mangoes that came straight from the tree, and didn’t much care for it in a curry form.
In fact, our neighbor had a huge mango tree right by the fence that peeked over into our yard, so fresh mangoes were always just an outstretched hand away!
My taste buds, however, have certainly become more refined with age, and I can now truly appreciate all the complex flavors that go into this rich, flavorful dish.
Curries typically serve as a side-dish for rice in Sri Lanka, but every time we make this mango curry, rice becomes an after-thought. This is the star.
Why this recipe works
- This is an authentic Sri Lankan curry! One that I grew up with, a recipe that has been passed down for generations.
- Sweet, tart, fruity, spicy, and a uniquely delicious curry. It’s like mango chutney and mango pickle combined with robust curry flavors.
- While slightly underripe mangoes are perfect for this dish, you can use just ripe mangoes too!
- This technique of making curry with mangoes can be used for other fruits too.
- Such a versatile recipe. This sweet mango curry pairs beautifully with any other curry as a side dish.
- And it’s vegan and gluten free too.
What type of mangoes to use for this curry?
I used Kent mangoes for this recipe (sold as “Red Mangoes” here in the Mid West), because that’s what’s available to use. It has firm flesh, even when perfectly ripe, so it’s perfect for a mango curry.
You don’t want to use mangoes with very soft flesh though. Kensignton Pride, Tommy Atkins, Haden, Keitt, Francis mangoes, would all be great for a curry as well.
Can I use ripe mangoes or frozen mangoes?
Use slightly underripe mangoes for best results. However, you can use mangoes that are just perfectly ripe too. The key is to make sure that the mango flesh is a little firm.
If the mangoes are overripe, the flesh is too soft and will disintegrate in the curry.
A delicious mango curry like this MUST be made with fresh mangoes, though. If you use frozen mangoes, they get too mushy and the peel doesn’t hold it all together and you end up with a not-quite-appetizing mess.
A note about the curry powder
The curry powder that I use here is my homemade curry powder. For a storebought curry powder, I recommend a Sri Lankan unroasted curry powder from an Asian grocery store, or a Madras curry powder.
If these are not available, then you can also use garam masala (a sweeter curry powder).
The taste will be slightly different since you’ll be altering the curry base, but it’ll still be delicious, I guarantee it!
How to cook mango curry (step by step overview)
Step 1 – Prep the mangoes
When prepping, I cut the mango cheeks and then cut each cheek into 3 strips. The remaining fleshy portion on either side of the seed is also cut into two strips, so you end up with a total of 8 strips, plus the seed.
Do NOT throw away the seed! It adds some texture to the dish, and we love sucking on the seed at the end too! 🙂
I also do NOT peel the mangoes. The peel holds the flesh together, and it adds flavor and texture as well. And we often eat the peel as well. Nothing goes to waste!
Step 2 – Get the ingredients ready, and sauté the aromatics and spices
Sauté the onion, garlic, and mustard first. This is to build layers of flavor in the curry. The mustard seeds will pop in the oil as well which will add a lovely smoky flavor to the curry.
This is followed by the spices. Sautéing the spices will bloom them, and bring out more flavor from the curry powder too.
Step 3 – Add the coconut
Add the desiccated (or fresh) coconut, along with the coconut milk. The desiccated coconut becomes a little toasty and helps to thicken the final curry while adding a lovely nutty flavor!
Step 4 – Add the mangoes
Now that we’ve built the curry base, we can add the mangoes. The mangoes, peppers, and vinegar go in together.
The mangoes will simmer in the curry sauce, allowing the spices to infuse the mango as it softens, but also for the mango flavor to infuse the curry sauce too.
The cook time will depend on the ripeness of the mangoes, so it’s important to not let the mangoes become mushy!
Step 5 – Adjust the curry
While cooking the mangoes, you can also adjust the seasoning to suit your taste. I prefer this curry to not have too much gravy, but if you’d like more, you can add extra coconut milk or water.
But also remember that you will then need to add a little extra curry powder and seasoning to compensate for the extra liquid.
Step 6 – Serve
I personally like to make enough for at least 2 meals, so I get to have leftovers. And as with all curries, this mango curry will taste even better the next day!
My best recipe tips
- Use underripe mangoes.
- Make sure your curry powder is a quality one! I am very partial to my homemade curry powder, because it’s very versatile and I can adapt it to MANY different curries without overpowering the flavor profile of the dish.
- If you don’t want to make homemade curry powder, then I recommend a good curry powder from a South Asian store (it’s cheaper and tastes SO much better than the supermarket branded ones from big box stores).
- Keep the mango peel on! Don’t peel the mangoes, as the peel will hold the mango pieces together. Without the peel the flesh can easily melt into the curry. Not good!
- Don’t overcook the mango. The riper the mangoes are, the shorter the cook time. This is to prevent the mangoes from overcooking and softening too much.
- Make this curry one day ahead, if you can. The curry tastes better the next day after it has had a chance to rest in the fridge for at least a few hours!
Serving ideas and variations
- You can serve this mango curry with rice, flatbreads such as coconut roti and roti canai, and freshly baked bread like my white bread or focaccia bread.
- It’s also perfect to be served alongside other curries such as chicken curry, beef curry, lamb curry, black pork curry, fish curry, shrimp curry and vegetarian or vegan curries like dhal curry, beetroot curry, carrot curry, cashew curry etc.
Storage tips
You can store this curry in the fridge for about 4 – 5 days (with proper storage practices such as preventing reheating and refrigerating multiple times, and not using dirty utensils to serve).
I like to portion it into smaller portions, so that I only keep each portion for a maximum of 3 days in the fridge. The rest I keep in the freezer. The curry will keep in the freezer for about 1 – 2 months.
Just let the frozen curry thaw in the fridge and only reheat what you will be eating or serving.
This Sri Lankan mango curry is deceptively easy to make. Just keep in mind that you will need to adjust sugar and vinegar levels according to the fruit that you use. So always taste and adjust the amount of seasoning.
Recipe
Sri Lankan Mango Curry
US based cup, teaspoon, tablespoon measurements. Weight measurements are recommended for accurate results whenever available.
Common Measurement ConversionsIngredients:
- 3 mangoes 1 ½ lbs mangoes, with the seed
- 3 tbsp coconut oil or neutral oil
- 2 garlic cloves chopped
- ½ medium red onion sliced
- 1 tbsp mustard seeds
- 1 ½ tsp curry powder
- 1 – 2 tbsp sugar as needed
- 1 ½ tsp cayenne pepper
- ¼ heaped tsp salt plus more to taste
- ½ cup water
- 2 tbsp desiccated coconut
- ¼ cup coconut milk
- 2 serrano pepper slices cut lengthwise or across, and de-seeded if you prefer your curry to be less spicy
- ¼ tsp white vinegar
Instructions:
- Wash and cut the mangoes. To cut the mangoes – slice off the top stem, and then slice off the cheeks of the mangoes. Cut the sides off the mango seed. Then cut each mango cheek into 3 strips, so that all the mango pieces are roughly equal in size. You will end up with 8 mango pieces plus the seed, per mango.3 mangoes
- Heat 3 tbsp of coconut oil (or any neutral oil) in a large non-stick saucepan. Add the sliced onion, garlic and mustard seeds. Saute for a few minutes until the onions have softened.3 tbsp coconut oil, 2 garlic cloves, ½ medium red onion, 1 tbsp mustard seeds
- Add the curry powder, 1 tbsp sugar, cayenne pepper and salt. Mix for a few seconds to heat the curry powder until you can smell the spices.1 ½ tsp curry powder, 1 – 2 tbsp sugar, 1 ½ tsp cayenne pepper, ¼ heaped tsp salt
- Add water, desiccated coconut and coconut milk, and mix through and heat to simmer.½ cup water, 2 tbsp desiccated coconut, ¼ cup coconut milk
- Add the mangoes, serrano pepper and white vinegar and gently mix to coat the mangoes with the spices. Cover and let the mango curry simmer for 15 – 20 minutes, stirring gently every 5 minutes, until the mango flesh has softened, but not mushy.3 mangoes, 2 serrano pepper slices, ¼ tsp white vinegar
- Halfway through the cooking process, taste the curry and season to taste. Add the extra 1 tbsp sugar if needed (if your mangoes are particularly sweet, you may not need this extra sugar). Stir to combine, and cook for the remaining time.¼ heaped tsp salt, 1 – 2 tbsp sugar
- Serve hot with rice. Enjoy!
Nutrition Information:
“This website provides approximate nutrition information for convenience and as a courtesy only. Nutrition data is gathered primarily from the USDA Food Composition Database, whenever available, or otherwise other online calculators.”
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