Helen Goh's pineapple and mango paletas. Photograph: Rita Platts/The Guardian. Food and prop styling: Lucy Turnbull. View image in fullscreen Helen Goh's pineapple and mango paletas. Photograph: Rita Platts/The Guardian. Food and prop styling: Lucy Turnbull. The sweet spot Food Helen Goh’s recipe for pineapple and mango paletas These bright, sharp Mexican iced treats are the perfect summer cooler – with a spiky kick
Prefer the Guardian on Google T he first time I encountered paletas in Mexico, they felt strangely familiar. They reminded me of the iced treats of my Malaysian childhood: fruit-driven, brightly coloured and made less to indulge than to relieve the heat. What struck me most was the flavour logic shared by both countries, where sweetness is often enlivened with salt, chilli, tamarind or citrus, each sharpening the fruit in its own way and making it seem brighter, cooler and somehow more vivid. Paletas are rarely perfectly smooth; little pieces of fruit suspended in the ice give them texture and interest. These two paletas take different paths from the same base: pineapple – sharp, clean and bright with lime and ginger – and mango – sweeter, rounder and more indulgent, which I’ve spiked with chilli, lime and salt.
Paleta moulds are easy to find online and in many kitchenware shops, but if you don’t have them, small paper cups and wooden sticks work perfectly well, too.
Prep 10 min Cook 15 min, plus cooling Freeze 6 hr+ Makes 10-12
For the pineapple, lime and ginger paletas 600g fresh pineapple flesh , cut into chunks, plus 70g finely diced into 5-7mm pieces 1 quantity base syrup (see above) 1 tbsp lime juice 20g fresh ginger , finely grated Pinch of fine sea salt
For the mango and Tajín paletas 500g ripe mango flesh , cut into chunks, plus 70g finely diced into 5–7mm pieces 1 quantity base syrup (see above) 1½ tbsp lime juice Small pinch of fine sea salt Tajín or other chilli-lime seasoning , to serve
To make the base syrup, place the sugar and 70ml water into a small saucepan on a medium heat and stir until dissolved. Remove from the heat and cool completely.
For the pineapple paletas, blend the pineapple chunks with the cooled syrup, lime juice, ginger and salt until very smooth. Taste – it should seem slightly brighter and sharper than you’d like, as freezing dulls flavour. Pour the fruit puree into the paleta moulds, leaving about 1cm space at the top. Drop a few pieces of the finely diced fruit into each mould, gently nudging them down with a skewer or teaspoon so they’re suspended throughout the mixture. Tap the moulds lightly on the bench to remove air bubbles, then insert sticks and freeze for at least six hours or overnight. To unmould, briefly run the moulds under warm water.
For the mango paletas, blend the mango chunks with the cooled syrup, lime juice and salt until smooth. Taste and adjust if needed: mangoes vary enormously in sweetness and acidity, so you may wish to add extra lime. Drop a few pieces of the diced fruit into each mould, gently nudging them down with a skewer or teaspoon so they are suspended throughout the mixture. Freeze and unmould as above. Sprinkle the Tajín over the mango paletas just before serving; this keeps the flavours bright and distinct.