American

Mango-Cardamom Cobbler From Sapna Punjabi-Gupta

by:
July 11, 2021
5
4 Ratings
Photo by Rocky Luten. Food stylist: Anna Billingskog. Prop stylist: Fiona Campbell.
  • Prep time 15 minutes
  • Cook time 40 minutes
  • Serves 6 to 8
Author Notes

Like millions of fellow Indians, my love for mangoes runs deep—and this mango cardamom deep-dish cobbler satisfies my nostalgic summer cravings with a Texas flair. This Southern-style cobbler has a generous filling of mangoes, topped with a thick crust infused with fragrant green cardamom.

There are hundreds of varieties of mangoes found in the world. The most sought after Hafoos (also known as Alphonso) variety, revered for its unparalleled taste and texture, is grown in the Konkan region of Maharashtra state in India. Of the many varieties commonly found in the U.S., I favor Kent and Ataulfo/Champagne varieties for this cobbler, as they have a high flesh to seed ratio with smooth texture and very limited stringy fibers. Whatever mangoes are available to you, choose fruit that's ripe yet firm to the touch. You can certainly use frozen, thawed mangoes for this cobbler too, but I would highly encourage fresh fruit when in season.

A few notes on swaps: I have made this cobbler with regular all-purpose flour and whole wheat flour with equal success. You can also easily replace the butter with an equal amount of coconut or grapeseed oil, and the whole milk with oat, coconut, or almond milk, to make the cobbler vegan. And last, baking it in a smaller size baking dish or casserole (say, a 2-quart dish instead of 3 quart) allows for a thicker layer of crust, which some may prefer. Alternatively, this recipe can be divided equally in ramekins for individual portions. With a scoop of plain vanilla ice cream or my favorite kesar (saffron) pistachio ice cream over the top, a bowl of this warm cobbler is what perfect summer dreams are made of. —Food52

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Ingredients
  • 1/2 cup unsalted butter (113 grams)
  • 1 cup unbleached all-purpose flour (120 grams)
  • 3/4 cup turbinado sugar (145 grams) plus 2 tablespoons more (24 grams), divided
  • 1 tablespoon baking powder (14 grams)
  • 1/2 teaspoon cardamom powder (3 grams)
  • 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
  • 1 cup whole milk (8 fl oz / 227 grams)
  • 1 pound ripe mangoes, peeled and chopped (about 500 grams or 4 medium fruits)
Directions
  1. Place butter in a 3 quart baking dish or casserole and place in the oven while it heats to 350°F.
  2. Combine flour, baking powder, sugar and cardamom powder in a mixing bowl. Add milk and whisk the batter until there are no lumps.
  3. Remove the baking dish from the oven and swirl the melted butter carefully so it greases the sides of the pan.
  4. Place the chopped mango over the melted butter in the baking dish. Sprinkle 1 tablespoon of turbinado sugar over the mango. Pour the batter over the mangoes and sprinkle the remaining 1 tablespoon of turbinado sugar.
  5. Bake the cobbler for 40 minutes, or until the top is golden brown and edges start to pull away from the pan. Serve warm immediately or with a scoop of ice cream if desired.

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2 Reviews

Jacqueline85 July 14, 2024
This cobbler was exceptional, and I'm so glad I discovered it. I did make a few swaps, and it turned out well, so I'm sharing here for others' reference. I swapped the all-purpose flour for the same measurement of Bob's Red Mill Gluten-Free 1-to-1 Baking Flour, the turbinado sugar for a combo of coconut sugar and brown sugar, and the whole milk for unsweetened oat milk. I also set aside, overnight, about three-cups of frozen mango cubes (as I didn't have fresh mangoes). These swaps had good results. I made this cobbler for breakfast (with a dollop of Greek yoghurt), and will add it to my regular roster.
Marjorie S. July 11, 2021
This was quite simple to make, and delicious! The cardamom flavor was beautiful, and tasted even better the next day. I sliced 3 very large ripe mangoes and got almost a quart of fruit, reduced the cobbler sugar to half for my sugar-conscious sister, didn't have turbinado so used brown sugar, and used cultured butter, which makes a wonderful difference. I will definitely make this delicious and easy recipe again!