Easy Vegan Mango Pudding

Gung Hay Fat Choy, friends! We didn’t exactly herald in the January new year under the best of circumstances, with omicron continuing its sweep and blazing wildfires ripping across local communities here in Colorado. The markets and weather have seemed strangely in tandem, fluctating dramatically and amplifying stresses in their own distinct ways. We do have much to be thankful for, but I’m choosing to put hopeful stock in the lunar new year for a little extra freshness.

I love Chinese New Year traditions—well, the ones that are familiar to me, anyway. Isn’t that what tradition is really all about? The comfort of the familiar? Anyway, for me that’s the lion dances, the lucky money envelopes, gleaming gold over red, and of course the food. It’s the oranges and the long life noodles, the almond cookies and the money bag dumplings. This year, I’m adding this lovely mango pudding, an even simpler variation of the Pink Mousse I shared this summer.

You know how activating the senses can whisk you back in time with such clear-eyed immediacy? A fragment of a melody, or a wisp of fragrance, like lilac on a breeze. It’s funny how the captured memories aren’t necessarily all that special, surface-wise. When I even think of mango pudding, up there among my top favorite childhood desserts, I’m transported back to a round table in some restaurant in Hong Kong with my family when I was 15 years old. The white linen tablecloth, the pinky coral surround with glints of gold, the buzz of waistaff maneuvering their carts, the curvature of the wall behind us.

If I really wanted this version of mango pudding to mimic that one I especially remember, it would need a bit of agar agar powder for added firmness probably, and sugar. A rich ripe mango, though, is plenty sweet enough not to add any sweetener, although if you want to just 1/4 cup of monkfruit sweetener, maple syrup, or agave will do the trick, spread among the yield of four large ramekins. The light creaminess from the silken tofu and coconut milk is delicately divine.

Last year, Chef F helped me make almond cookies. He giggled up a storm, captivated by the way the almonds slipped out of their skins, even rocketing across the kitchen, after we blanched them. This year, he wasn’t really interested in helping, and to be honest it stung. For a little bit. Later on in the day after I baked (alone), my always-dear bud and I drew, played games, even went for a little run together. Our tight family trio enjoyed a whole lot of fun.

I’ve been thinking a lot about change. What a struggle it is to accept the constant movement in life, the hormone and identity shifts. In that struggle, though, there are always portals to peace.

Maybe due to a collision of pandemic reflection and midlife, the young year has already been ripe with reconnections. Just last night, I had such a warming, lovely phone call with a college friend that was many years overdue, the third of recent similar catchups. In each, we marveled at how after all the time, the friendship felt the same. Only, of course it isn’t. We’re different people, and there are infinite moments we’ve missed in each other’s lives. But something wonderful is the same. The loving acceptance is still true, alongside appreciation for the past.

Sometimes we can’t help but notice that even the things we “always do” are never done the same. “Picking up just where you left off” is an expression, not a description. Year to year, day to day, and moment to moment, everything is ever-changing. We are never the same one breath to the next. This is hard, and uncomfortable, isn’t it? But the good news is, within that discomfort there is a sweet spot. One that strikes the balance of honoring the things we love to share and welcoming what has evolved. Happy Lunar New Year, all. Wishing you all the balance, and all the good things. xo

Easy Mango Pudding

1 large, very ripe mange, peeled and cubed (about 1 1/2 cups)
1 16-ounce package silken tofu
1/2 Cup full-fat coconut milk (firm part) or coconut cream
1/2 Cup unsweetened plant milk of choice
1/4 Cup monkfruit sugar, maple syrup, or agave (optional)
pinch of cardamom, optional

Put all ingredients in a blender and process until smooth. Pour into four large remakins and place in the fridge to set. Garnish with sliced mango and fresh berries. Enjoy!