Pohela Boishakh means outings, all kinds of food and chatting with friends. Relatives or friends are coming over, and hosts are serving the day's special panta with fried hilsa, various bhortas and beef. Many also cook polao and roast.

But the meal will feel incomplete without dessert. You can quickly make a few, such as green mango pudding, ripe mango sandesh or mango doi. The recipes are very easy and can be made in a short time with ingredients at home. Here are the ingredients and methods.

Green mangoes are plentiful in the market now. You have made plenty of green mango sherbet and pickle, but have you ever had pudding? With half an hour to spare, you can easily make this unique recipe.

• Green mango: 1 cup
• Boiled milk: 2 cups
• Sugar to taste
• Agar-agar or gelatine: 1.5 teaspoons
• A little mango essence

First soak 1.5 teaspoons of agar-agar powder or gelatine in half a cup of water for 10 minutes. In a bowl, mix the boiled milk well with sugar and the mango puree. Heat it on the stove for a while; when it comes to the boil, add the agar-agar or gelatine and cook a little longer. Remove, pour into a pudding mould and leave to cool. Chill in the fridge for a while and serve.

Sandesh can be made with either ripe or green mango. Use whichever is to hand to make mango sandesh for loved ones on the special day.

• Mango pulp: 1 cup
• Sugar: 1/4 cup
• Powdered milk: 2 tablespoons
• Cashew nuts: 1 cup
• Ghee: 1 tablespoon
• A little ground cardamom

First blend the mango pulp and cashew nuts together. Heat ghee in a pan, add the mango-cashew paste and stir constantly. Gradually mix in the powdered milk and sugar. Add ground cardamom and keep stirring. When the mixture leaves the sides of the pan, take it off the heat. When slightly cool, shape as you like. You can garnish with chopped pistachio.

Mango doi is a delicious dessert that can be made in a short time with a few household ingredients.

• Mango pulp: 1 cup
• Sweet yoghurt (mishti doi): 1 cup
• Sugar, if needed
• Liquid milk: 1.5 litres
• Powdered milk: 1/4 cup
• Sugar for caramel: 2 spoons

Boil the milk down to half. Mix in the powdered milk and sugar. Make caramel with sugar in a separate pan and stir it into the milk. While the milk is warm, mix in the mango pulp and yoghurt. Pour the mixture into a clay or ceramic pot. Preheat the oven for 10 minutes, switch it off, and put the covered pot of doi inside. Take it out after seven or eight hours, chill in the fridge and serve.

Source: Jagonews24. First published in Bengali on The Agro News.