Add mangoes and stir to coat with curry. Add remaining water, garlic, salt sugar and hot pepper. Lower heat, cover and cook until mangoes are tender and liquid has evaporated, add more water if needed. Taste mango and add more sugar if mangoes are too tart.
Curry: In a blender, combine the onion, ginger, and garlic and blend into a smooth puree with 2 tablespoons of water. Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium heat. When the oil is hot, add the cumin seeds, bay leaves, and cloves. Cook for 1 minute. Add the pureed onion and cook until the onion mixture is dry and does not smell raw.
A final note on this mango curry recipe – it’s very easy to make vegan. The main sauce liquid is coconut milk – we add creme fraiche to thicken things up. However you can also use a thick creme, basic sour cream or, indeed vegan versions of these creams. They’re becoming more and more readily available and work in the dish in much the same way.
If you can’t find a good mango, or they’re not generally available in your area or at a certain time of year, then frozen mango is a great and practical alternative. Just make sure you let it defrost for a couple of hours, first! This virtually vegan mango curry is refreshing, tropical, super-quick and soooooo easy!