This VEGAN Mango Ice-cream is made more protein-rich and special with Aquafaba – the chickpea brine liquid. Non-dairy + Gluten-free dessert.

The mango haul this year has been piteously disappointing for me thus far… last week, I cut into one that was seemingly ripe, but one bite and a sharp, unpleasant tartness assaulted my tastebuds and turned my mouth sour. Indian summers can be cruel and unforgiving, but the sweltering heat is made much, much more bearable thanks to the host of seasonal fruits that offer respite and consolation. There are so many varieties of mangoes to go through, and with each passing week of these long drawn summers, a new variety begins to bear fruit, keeping you constantly on your toes, fervently looking forward to the next wave.

My favorite cultivar, Rumani, comes towards the end of summer – with papery-thin skin that you can peel off without using a knife (much like a plum or nectarine) and a seed that’s smaller and thinner than most other varieties – it’s the perfect mango, atleast to me, it is. Once the season hit, I used to eat one after every meal! It’s been 5 years since I’ve tasted Indian mangoes, and it’s the Rumani that I miss the most. Tip: Chilled Vanilla custard topped generously with diced mangoes. Try it.

Since moving out of India, it’s the mangoes I miss the most. Well, mangoes and loose-jacket oranges. But I’ll get to the oranges another day.

But Saturday morning, I picked up a carton of extremely delicious mangoes, and I think in the 5 years out of India, these are the best mangoes I’ve tasted. Perfectly ripe, non-fibrous and extremely sweet! After devouring the first one unceremoniously, with juice dripping down my arm, I decided that these beautiful mangoes deserve so much better. Turning it into this Vegan Mango Ice-cream sounded like the perfect homage.

But no, I was not willing to dilute the flavor with either dairy or my usual vegan substitute – coconut milk. No, there would be no dilution here, nothing to take away from the purest flavor that mother nature has pretty much perfected.

So I decided to go with Aquafaba instead! For those of you who’ve been living under a rock, aquafaba is chickpea brine, the cloudy remnant liquid left behind after cooking. While you normally either filter it out over the sink, or add it to stocks and soups, it’s also found use as a wonderful vegan substitute for egg whites.

It’s look brown and sluggish, but when whisked, turns pearly white and even form stiff peaks, much like eggs do! Here’s how you can make your own aquafaba and anyone here interested in a Vegan Pavlova?

Vegan Mango Ice-cream – No dairy, no nut milks either!

I used aquafaba meringue to lighten the mango puree, and it created a concoction that was half-way between a sorbet and a full-fat ice-cream. Unlike ice-cream, where the creaminess oftentimes takes away from the flavor, this Vegan Mango ice-cream was a wholly different experience. Every mouthful was a burst of mango flavor and the creaminess did not dilute the tropical flavor or fragrance. And since it uses Aquafaba, which is essentially just chickpea run-off, bonus protein boost!

You start off by whisking aquafaba with a little cream of tartar (for stability) until you see still peaks. This should take about 10-15 minutes to achieve. Make sure you’re using room temperature ingredients. If you’re using a stand mixer, make the mango puree while the aquafaba is whisking. Once you see stiff peaks, add the sugar one spoon at a time while whisking, giving it time to dissolve before adding more. Soon you’ll see a white, sticky meringue. Fold in the mango puree now. Pour into a metal container and freeze overnight.

Enjoy this Vegan Mango Ice-cream made with aquafaba – considerably low fat than regular ice-creams. Just remember to use the most wonderful mangoes you can find – with food, as with all other things in this world, what you sow is what you reap.

Top each scoop with more mango puree (if you have any), more fresh mangoes cubes for a texture variant and dig in! trust me, it’s the best part of summer at its best!

When you make these (which I really think you SHOULD!), be sure to SHARE YOUR PHOTOS with me through Facebook, Instagram or Twitter. I’d love to see what you cook from here!