mangga kicap

Before she passed away 10 years ago, my grandma bequeathed all her mango trees to me. It seems to be a silly thing to pass on as usually you get jewellery, silver or copper dishes, art or real estate for heirloom. I got all of those too but because I have a very strong will grandma to whom I learnt that you can get anything and everything you want, she made every family member know through that special provision in her will that even if they get a piece of land of which the mango tree grows, the mangoes belong to me.

She used to love telling everyone that when I was really small, I believed that mango trees will grow out of my belly. My mom used to tell us if we don't spit the seeds of a fruit say rambutan or mangosteen out, they will grow into a tree in our belly. I was 4 when I tried to swallow a rather large mango pit in so I can have a mango tree in my belly. My 4 year old logic convinced me that I should have a mango tree wherever I go so I will always have a mango to eat and because it was in my belly, I can have it at any time of the year not just during the mango season. It wasn't a successful attempt but it was only one of the many stories on the family table about how obsessed I am with the luscious fragrant fruit.

This is how I got my nickname, Mango.

I love every type of mango - green or ripe. I very rarely cook with them unless they are not so good - you get that if you live in a country which imports mango - then I would turn them into chutneys. I especially love green mango relish and sambal. This one is sooo easy to assemble and use only three ingredients and a pinch of salt. It is my dad's favourite way of eating green mango.

You eat kicap mangga as a relish, an Asian salsa, a salad, a side dish, a sauce or a dip with other dishes in a proper meal with rice. I like eating it with omelette, any fish dish and anything grilled. It is easy to make and a lot faster than you can say sambal! The combination of tart, sweet and *greenness* of the mango with the syrupy soy sauce complements and bring out the best in other dishes and just when you think you're enjoying the most divine experience, the chili kicks in and take you further! Try it with some chicken wings from the barbie and you will know what I mean.

To get the right texture, you need a very firm green mango. If the green mango is not firm, the mango you get is not fresh and crispy but rather funky and rancid. Then it is better to cook with it so you can use other flavouring to repress the funky taste and still bring out the best in the mango. Wash the mango thoroughly to get rid off any sticky mango sap. It's important to do this especially with green mango because the sap can sometimes give you a nasty sting and rash. Then peel the skin and then give it another round of wash. Then use your julienne peeler to make thin juliennes of the mango, sprinkle a bit of sea salt over it and leave it in the fridge until you're ready to eat.

To make the mangga kicap, simply chop some birds' eye chilies and sprinkle them on the mango then pour your choice of soy sauce. I use a combination of kicap kental (thick sticky semi sweet soy sauce) and light soy sauce. Enjoy!