Mango & Raspberry Parfait

I love unconventional holidays. Maybe that’s because I’m an unconventional kinda girl. I’ve spent Christmas in tropical Africa, on the snowy slopes of the French Alps, in sunny New Delhi, in an Ashram in the state of Maharashtra, and among Tibetan monks in the remote Himalayas. This colorful, raw vegan Christmas dessert combines the contrasting flavors of my globetrotting adventures: the African mango, les “framboises” (raspberries) of my French tween years, the Tibetan goji berries, and the cardamom of my beloved India.

Ingredients:

3 ripe organic mangos
1/2 cup of raspberries
1/4 cup of goji berries
2 tablespoons of raw honey
1 teaspoon of ground cardamom
1 cup of raw walnuts
1/4 cup of unsweetened shredded coconut

With a base of mango, this dessert requires no added sweeteners or thickeners. Mangos once blended give out a rich and thick custard cream kind of consistency that’s intense in flavor, sweet to perfection, and incredibly nourishing yet light and easy to digest.

To make the mango purée (also the base for the raspberry and goji berry whip):
1. Cut each mango in half, just clearing the long flat seed.
2. Peel the mango halves and puree in a high speed blender.
3. Remove half the mango puree from the blender and keep in a container in the fridge.

With the remaining mango purée, proceed to making the raspberry and goji berry whip.

Making the raspberry and goji berry whip is super easy. Add half the raspberries (1/4 cup) plus the goji berries into a Vitamix (or high speed blender) with the remainder of the mango purée. Process until it is smooth to perfection. If you don’t have a Vitamix (or a powerful blender), you might want to soak the goji berries overnight instead of using them dry. Make sure to drain them before combining with the raspberries so they do not alter the consistent of the whip by making it too runny.

Put in a container (separate from the mango purée) and refrigerate while you move on to the walnut/cardamom crumble.

To make the Walnut/Cardamom crumble:

Place the walnuts, shredded coconut, cardamom, and raw honey in a food processor using the S-shaped blade and pulse until you achieve a nice crumbly texture. Make sure you don’t overdo it. You don’t want the crumble to get too fine and sticky.

I adore cardamom. To me it’s the scent of India (with tuberose and nag champa of course). This is where I was first introduced to cardamom. It’s used in so many Indian sweets and recipes that it instantly brings back wonderful memories. Plus, cardamom and coconut are a match made in heaven. There’s a traditional Indian sweet called burfi I used to go crazy for (before my raw vegan days). It’s funny because I don’t really have a sweet tooth, but this dessert cast a spell on me to the point where my adoptive Indian “dad” had to ration it!

Okay, you’ve got the mango purée, the raspberry and goji berry whip, and the walnut/cardamom crumble ready. Now is time to assemble. That’s my favorite part…!

Scoop a couple spoonfuls of mango purée into a parfait glass. Follow with a layer of crumble, and finish off with a couple spoonfuls of berry whip. Sprinkle some crumble on top and use the remaining raspberries as decoration for a punch of vibrant color.

Look at these glorious raspberries. They’re color therapy to me!

Now all you have to do is enjoy a healthy treat and a very Merry Christmas!

Much glow and glory to you ~
Ndoema ♥♥♥