MANGO CHIA SEED PUDDING

And to place a cherry on the top, this pudding will be flavoured with some crushed cardamom. The cardamom gets in a rich and warming effect into this dessert, thereby balancing the cooling nature of the chia seeds.

Go ahead and try this healthy, satisfying and simple recipe.

Following is a list of the healthy ingredients used in this recipe, along with their respective health benefits:

1) Mango

• Ripened mango is cooling in nature, according to AYURVEDA.
• An artificially ripened mango (After plucking it from the tree) is the best to have as it is sweet and light in nature.
• it BALANCES the PITTA DOSHA and VATA DOSHA.
• Mango is best eaten by sucking, rather than slicing.
• It can be combined with cardamom milk or saffron milk and consumed as a milk shake.
• Raw mango is astringent (dry) and sour in taste, heave increases the VATA DOSHA.
• Raw mango is heavy in nature and should not be consumed in excess as it reduces the digestive fire and as a result harms the digestion.
• Being high in fibre, Ripe mango is easily DIGESTIBLE.
• Ripened mango is high in vitamin A, hence supports EYE HEALTH.
• It is rich in Vitamin C, which is responsible for the elasticity of the SKIN and hence  helps to reduce wrinkles.
• Vitamin A is responsible for production of sebum, which moistures the scalp and improves HAIR health.
• It increases the good bacteria in the body, which improves the GUT HEALTH.
• It has high amounts of antioxidants (beta carotene) , which boost a IMMUNITY.
• It helps in managing weight, when eaten in moderation, as it is high in fibre and keeps us full for longer.

2) Cardamom

• According to AYURVEDA, Cardamom is TRIDOSHIC (Balances all the 3 DOSHAS)
• It has a Sweet and a slightly pungent taste.
• Cardamom is supposed to be COOLING in nature ( According to AYURVEDA).
• It is light and dry in nature.
• It is considered as a mouth/breath FRESHNER. It is good for overall ORAL health.
• It relieves gas and improves the overall digestion.
• It is good for heart health, known as a CARDIAC TONIC.
• It is helpful in recovering from emaciation (weak/thin physic).
• It has high manganese content, which helps in maintaining the blood sugar levels.
• It is said to treat RESPIRATORY PROBLEMS (especially in case of ASTHMA). As it maintaines the body temperature for a long time, it can be used to treat cough and cold.
• It has a warming effect on the body and thus helps in boosting the metabolism. Also provides a RESTLFUL SLEEP.
• It has high amount of antioxidants, as a result it acts as an IMUNITY BOOSTER.
• Being a natural diuretic, it supports bladder health by helping in retention of Urine.

3) Chia Seeds

• Chia seeds have a sweet and earthy taste to them and are cooling in nature.
• According to Ayurveda, chia seeds reduces VATA DOSHA, optimises PITTA DOSHA and nourishes the KAPHA DOSHA.
• It supports HYDRATION by retening the water levels in the body.
• It is a rich source of dietary fibre, so aids in DIGESTION.
• Due to the high fibre content, it is slowly absorbed in the body and provided energy for longer. Thus reducing the snack cravings and ultimately REDUCING WEIGHT.
• It has high amounts of calcium, so it is considered good for bone health.
• It lowers the risk of heart diseases as it increases the levels of HDL (Good Cholesterol) in the body.
• It contains a high percentage of omega 3 and omega 6 fatty acids, hence is said to reduce inflammation in the body.

Recipe

Yield: Approximately 2-3 servings.

Ingredients:

– MANGO PUDDING LAYER :

• Mango Pulp – 1 cup
• Milk – 3/4 cup (177ml)
• Corn flour – 3 tablespoons
• Sugar – 3/4cup (75 grams) [Adjust according to the sweetness of the mangoes]
• Cardamon Powder – 1/4 teaspoon

– CHIA SEEDS PUDDING LAYER :

• Chia seeds – 1 tablespoon
• Milk – 1/2 cup (118 ml)
• Cornflour – 1 tablespoon
• Sugar – 1/4 cup (25 grams)
• Vanilla – 1/2 teaspoon

Method:

– MANGO PUDDING LAYER :

• Take 3 tablespoons of the milk in a small mixing bowl, add the cornflour to it and mix until it is well dissolved and no lumps are seen. Keep it aside.
• In a heavy bottom saucepan, take the rest of the milk and simmer it over low heat.
• Once the milk starts simmering, add the cornflour and milk slurry to the simmering milk and mix well.
• Keep whisking it with a whisk/ rubber spatula, so that the bottom does not burn.
• once the mixture starts bubbling and thickens up like a paste, add in the mango pulp and the cardamom powder and mix well.
• Keep stirring continuously for around 2-3 minutes, until the the mixture thickens again.
• Switch off the flame and let the mixture cool down for a while.
• Once it cools down slightly, pour it into glasses and keep it in the refrigerator to set (25-30 minutes).

– CHIA SEEDS PUDDING LAYER :

• Take 2 tablespoons of the milk in a small mixing bowl, add the cornflour to it and mix until it is well dissolved and no lumps are seen. Keep it aside.
• In a heavy bottom saucepan, take the rest of the milk and simmer it over low heat.
• Once the milk starts simmering, add the cornflour and milk slurry to the simmering milk and mix well.
• Keep whisking it with a whisk/ rubber spatula, so that the bottom does not burn.
• once the mixture starts bubbling and thickens up like a paste, add in the chia seeds and the vanilla and mix well.
• Keep stirring continuously for around 2-3 minutes, until the the mixture thickens again.
• Switch off the flame and let the mixture cool down for a while.
• Once it cools down slightly, pour it on top of the glasses containing the Mango pudding
• Keep it in the refrigerator to set (25 – 30 minutes).

– GARNISH:

• Once the pudding layers set well, it can be topped with some freshly chopped mango pieces and some mint leaves for the freshness.
• Enjoy the chilled mango chia seeds pudding.

Notes:

• Keep stirring the milk mixture continuously, so that it does not burn at the bottom.
• Do not let the pudding cool down a lot in the pan, as it will set and take the shape of the pan itself.