Happy Diwali to everyone celebrating!
The atmosphere in my neighborhood is delightful, even though this part of town is usually quiet. Neighbors gather in the corridors to exchange sweets, children run around in their festive clothes, and in the evening the balconies glow with strings of multicolored lights, creating a warm, celebratory mood.
Today I’m sharing a mango cheesecake recipe, even though mango season has passed. My husband picked some mangoes that looked plump and bright, but they weren’t as flavorful as we expected. They weren’t terrible, but they didn’t live up to the memory of the juicy mangoes I grew up with, thanks to a mother who adored them.
After making mango achcharu (mango pieces preserved with salt, chili powder, sugar, and vinegar — a wonderful mix for the taste buds), I wanted something cool and creamy to soothe my palate. I’ll share the achcharu recipe another time when I have more mangoes to use.
Have you ever bitten into a slice of cheesecake so creamy and luscious that one piece isn’t enough? The texture and mango flavor combine into something addictive — I couldn’t stop eating. I barely left any for my family, and hardly any for photos.
I adapted this recipe from Sanjeev Kapoor’s “Tasty Eating for Healthy Living,” making a few tweaks for a lighter version. One change I made was adding cocoa powder to the crust for depth without adding too many extra calories.
No Bake Mango Cheesecake with Mango Sauce
Ingredients:
Crust:
15 bran or digestive biscuits
4 tbsp butter
1 tbsp cocoa powder
1 tbsp confectioner’s sugar
15 bran or digestive biscuits
4 tbsp butter
1 tbsp cocoa powder
1 tbsp confectioner’s sugar
Filling:
1 cup low-fat milk
1/2 cup condensed milk
1 tbsp cornflour
1 tbsp gelatin
1 1/2 cups drained low-fat yogurt
1 packet Philadelphia cream cheese (or substitute for 2 cups cottage cheese)
2 cups mango pulp
1/2 tsp mango essence (optional)
1/2 cup powdered sugar
1 cup low-fat milk
1/2 cup condensed milk
1 tbsp cornflour
1 tbsp gelatin
1 1/2 cups drained low-fat yogurt
1 packet Philadelphia cream cheese (or substitute for 2 cups cottage cheese)
2 cups mango pulp
1/2 tsp mango essence (optional)
1/2 cup powdered sugar
Sauce:
2 mangoes, chopped
1/2 tsp cornflour
1/2 cup water
sugar to taste
2 mangoes, chopped
1/2 tsp cornflour
1/2 cup water
sugar to taste
Method:
- Crush the biscuits into a coarse powder. Add cocoa, confectioner’s sugar and melted butter, mix well. Press this mixture evenly into the base of a 9-inch springform pan. Chill in the refrigerator while you prepare the filling.
- For the filling, heat the milk and condensed milk together in a pan. Mix the cornflour with a little milk to make a slurry, then stir it into the hot milk. Cook, stirring constantly, until the mixture thickens. Remove from heat and set aside to cool slightly.
- Soften the gelatin by adding about 1/4 cup of boiling water and stirring until fully dissolved. Let it sit briefly to cool but not set.
- Combine the cooled milk mixture, dissolved gelatin, mango pulp, cream cheese, yogurt, powdered sugar and mango essence (if using). Blend or beat until smooth and well combined. Pour this filling over the chilled crust, level the top, and refrigerate—preferably overnight—for best results.
- To make the sauce, cook the chopped mangoes with sugar and water until the fruit softens and the sugar dissolves. Mix the cornflour with a little water and add to the mango mixture, cooking until it thickens slightly. Keep some mango pieces intact; the sauce should be thick but chunky rather than completely smooth.
- When ready to serve, spoon the mango sauce over slices of cheesecake.
This no-bake mango cheesecake balances creamy textures with bright mango flavor. It’s a refreshing dessert that works well for celebrations, family gatherings, or any time you want something indulgent yet simple. Bon appétit!