Growing up in Malaysia, I was very much spoiled by all the exotic tropical fruit varieties. From the seasonal Durian ‘King of Fruits’ and Mangosteen, the mighty Queen, to mangoes that are amongst the royal fruits you will see everywhere throughout the year. Fruits are abundantly available, so much so that restaurants are always coming up with fresh new ideas to incorporate fruits into the local dishes, eg. Durian with sticky rice and fried fish with Dragon fruit sauce, just to name a few. Ripe mangoes are used to cook dishes like Mango Chicken, whereas fresh, unripened mangoes are used in most fruit salads, eg. Rojak. Ripe green mangoes impart a distinct sweet and tangy flavor to any chicken or shrimp dish, especially when rendered spicy.
Out of the three mango varieties that I am fond of, two were grown in our family garden. Apple Rumanis, sweet and tangy apple-shaped mangoes with a crunchy texture and Champagne / Honey Mangoes, aka Manila Mangoes, which are super sweet and juicy, and bigger than the kind found in the USA, roughly 5-6 inch long. Some of the best moments in my life were shared with my dad around the garden. I vividly remember how exciting it was during mango picking time when we couldn’t wait till we finished picking them and started peeling them off and enjoying them right under the trees. The third variety came from a tree that grew right outside our house and it bore green mangoes throughout the year for, much to the delight of any lucky passer-by. When those mangoes ripen, they emit a highly aromatic and unique scent and to this day, remain my personal favorite over the yellow kind. For those unripe mangoes, my folks would put them in a rice bucket, buried in the rice for a few days. Remember those days?
One of the most popular uses of mango in Malaysian cooking is in making Mango Chicken. And there are two delicious versions. The first one is more of a Thai influence using mango slivers with other shredded veges served with crispy chicken and a sweet spicy sauce. The other is a stir-fried version with chicken and mango slices. The latter style being the one more popular in the USA because it’s widely offered by most, if not all of the Malaysian restaurants here.
Unlike other sweet-sauced chicken dishes, eg. Sweet and Sour Chicken and Orange chicken, stir-fried Mango chicken does not use any frying batter. It is certainly an appetizing dish that will satisfy your tastebuds when you are in mood for something light and tangy. Just be sure to pick up a nice fresh, ripe or medium ripe mango, which I prefer. Let the mango work it’s magic. Simmer the mango until the juices surrender and you will definitely be on your way to a truly delicious Malaysian Mango dish!
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- AVG RATING4.5Based on 18 Review(s)
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Malli
The color on that lovely mango chicken is just gorgeous and it looks so flavorfully tempting!! Love it
wokandspoon
Looks like a lovely sweet-salty combination. Hmmm…wonder if durian chicken would work? hehe.
Susie Borromeo Milne via Facebook
I found your cookbook in a bookstore in Manila…I was thrilled to be able to buy it!
Kiran @ KiranTarun.com
Holy yum! That looks delish and your reference to sticky rice, rojak etc got me drooling :D
The Precious Things via Facebook
sounds amazing!
Minty
This sounds delicious. My favorite fruit is mango and I’ve definitely never tried it this way. :)
Elizabeth @Mango_Queen
I just love Mangoes ! I must try this Malaysian version of Mango Chicken. I love Malaysian food, and enjoyed it in a previous visit to Penang. Thanks for sharing this recipe!
Fern
I’ve never come across Malaysian Mango chicken before. Is it a common dish in Penang? I’m keen to try it though, the combination of sweet sour and spicy is tempting my taste buds!
Rasa Malaysia
Mango Chicken is more commonly served in KL than in Penang, it was pretty much made famous back in the 90s’.
urbanus
that makes sense. I lived on Penang for three years in the 70s and never heard of mango chicken.
kitchenvoyage
Mmmmm very nice indeed. Looks very similar to a recipe that i used to cook often Brazilian Chicken style. I will try to get a nice mangos in Brighton Asian market, and then I´ll which I prefer. thanks!
Foodiemom
This is something that I could prepare for my kids to introduce them to malaysian cuisine.
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Ohh this looks fantastic with a bowl of rice ;) I like mangos in savoury dishes hehe
Sweeet Tim
This is such a gorgeous dish, Bee! The dish looks deliciously colorful and would brighten up a dull day. I’m sure it tastes DIVINE!
Reem | Simply Reem
OMG!!!!
This is exactly what I want now…
Trust me this dish is making me drool like crazy…
A bowl of rice with this mango chicken and I”ll not ask for anything else…
rerickson
hey, this looks DE-licious! How much does it serve?
Rasa Malaysia
Thanks! For me, its good enough for 2 persons. Then again, it really depends on your appetite:)
platorre
Am I missing something in this recipe? The marinade has no liquid ingredient listed. I’ve never made a marinade that didn’t have any liquid. Please let me know.
jennifer
I made this for dinner tonight, and I inadvertantly added too much chili sauce and too much oyster sauce. Is there a way to fix the sauce? It is too spicy and has a slighy fishy taste from the oyster sauce. I was making extra since I feed 2 teenage boys, and miscounted/misjudged my measurements. Thanks!
Jane K
I am totally confused by this :”ripe green mango”. Is that a special kind of mango ? It can’t be ripe + green as far as I know. It’s either ripe or green. If it’s just an unripened mango how hard should it be ? I have read that there are different kinds of mango from Mexico or from Asian countries. Does the place of origin make a difference or do they taste mostly the same ? I need some help ! Thanks.