Sabrina Zaman is a Development intern with a marketing interest at The Sylvia Center.
Hello! My name is Sabrina Zaman and I am a Junior at the City College of New York studying Childhood Education with a concentration in Interdisciplinary Mathematics. I hope to become an educator one day to teach the upcoming generations. Since I was a young girl, I have always loved art and being creative. I can sit for hours and paint. To this day, I use painting as my getaway to destress and relax.
I grew up in a Bengali-American household, where our meals were always homemade and fresh. A lot of the vegetables and herbs we ate were from our garden in our backyard. My mom grows every vegetable plant you can think of, from basil to chili peppers to tomatoes to squash, you name it! She would incorporate traditional Bengali food and snacks into our meals to remind us of our roots and culture. One of my favorite snacks is the “Aam Bhorta” which is a zesty mango mixture filled with a burst of flavor.
Aam Bhorta
Grab a mango, how does it feel? Is it too soft and mushy? Is it too hard and raw? Feel the mango, does it feel firm but when you press on it slightly, you can make a little dent without the skin breaking, then that’s the one! You got yourself the perfect mango for this quick and easy snack! Remember, this recipe is all about personal preference but personally I like it firm. The texture you want, the level of spicy, sweet, tangy – it is up to you! You and your taste buds have the control.
The mango that is semi raw and semi ripe has a very distinct taste. It isn’t too sweet and it isn’t too bitter. It has just the perfect amount of tanginess and sweetness for this recipe. Picking out the right mango is vital to this recipe so make sure you pick the perfect one. This is an easy way to transform a basic mango into something more tasty and flavorful! This recipe is great with other fruits as well. If you’re not a fan of mangoes, try this recipe with strawberries, apples, oranges, pineapples, and/or guava!
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To start off, peel the skin of the mango. Afterwards, you can either use a peeler or cheese grater to strip off pieces of the mango. This depends on the texture you would like! With a peeler, you will achieve thicker strips of mango whereas with a cheese grater, it will be thin pieces of mango (which is my personal favorite) because it’s juicier. Lastly, combine seasoning and mango pieces to complete this refreshing treat!
Spicy: Chili Peppers, red pepper powder (or pepper of your choice)
Tangy: Lime, salt, lemon
Sweet: Sugar, dash of honey, or sweetener of your choice
