What is Mango Cilantro Dressing?
Mango cilantro dressing is a slightly creamy salad dressing with a golden color. This dressing is generally dairy free, but has a creaminess from the thick flesh of the mango. The texture is easy to pour and the flavors are sweet and fruity, spicy and a bit tart with with hints of garlic and cilantro. It is served cold over salads, seafood and can be used as a dipping sauce.
Ingredients
Mangoes are a large tropical fruit, with a thick glossy skin, juicy flesh and a large flat seed in its center, that encompasses much of the fruit. There are many varieties of mango, some have yellow skin, while others have a reddish skin that is green when unripe. Most mangoes are round and oblong, while others are kidney shaped. They are 2-9 inches in length and heavy. The flesh is smooth, though fibrous and golden in color. It is an extremely juicy fruit with a rich sweet flavor, that is unique to the mango.
Extra virgin olive oil is an extremely popular cooking oil and used raw to drizzle onto a multitude of dishes or mixed into salad dressings. Olives are crushed in a mill and pressed to extract the oil. The color of extra-virgin olive oil is usually a golden-green. The flavor can be mild or sharp, though the sign of a good oil means a bite to the flavor and a spiciness.
Botanically the chili pepper is a fruit, in culinary terms it is a vegetable. There are a number of varieties of red chili peppers. Some common ones used for spice powders and seasonings include the piri piri, cayenne, and chile de árbol, among others. Each pepper is red and has a thin skin with a thin flesh and seeds inside the middle of the pepper. The shape varies, but is often thin and tapered. The heat level varies also, depending on the type of pepper. Some are mildly hot, while other red chilies are scorching and fiery. The pepper can be used fresh in many dishes, as well as dried or powdered.
Wine vinegar is vinegar made from wine. It can be made from red or white wine, but commonly is red. The longer the vinegar ages the more flavorful it becomes. Wine vinegar often has a thin water-like viscosity, but high quality versions are thicker. They are usually a dark red color, that may border on brown. The flavor is tart and aged wine vinegar will be slightly sweet. It is used to season many Mediterranean dishes.
Cilantro is a leafy herb with a thin green stalk and small, partially fringed green leaves that look similar to a three leaf clover. It has a distinct smell that is similar to a lime and a flavor to match that. In addition, it smells and tastes the same and has a strong flavor with a hint of greens. Due to a genetic trait, some people find that cilantro tastes like soap. This herb is used in many cuisines, particularly from Asia and Central and South America.
Garlic is used in cuisines around the world and is extremely popular for its depth of flavor. The garlic bulb forms underneath the soil and is harvested once it reaches maturity. The bulb typically has thin, dry, white and flaky skin, surrounding the individual cloves. Often there are 10-12 cloves to a bulb/head of garlic. The cloves are cream colored with a strong smell and flavor that is spicy and sharp. Garlic takes on a nutty flavor in addition, when cooked. It is used in countless dishes, sauces, breads and more.
Salt is a mineral composed mostly of sodium chloride. It is the main flavoring used in food and is naturally occurring in certain foods, such as cheese, beets, meat and celery, plus many others. Salt is white and has finer granules than sugar. Many commercial salts include iodide, while others exclude it. Most salts are white, while some are naturally pale pink with minerals. Salt brings out the flavor of something and can create a tangy mouthfeel, if used in excess.
