5 tasty mangetout recipes

As the French name suggests 'eat it all', these young garden peas can be eaten whole, both cooked or raw. Here we've compiled five of our favourite mangetout recipes.

25 January 2022

As the French name suggests 'eat it all', these young garden peas can be eaten whole, both cooked or raw. They're picked so young that the pod is still flat, unlike sugar snap peas that have grown and rounded. When you slice open mangetout you'll find teeny tiny peas with a mildly sweet taste. Here we've compiled five of our favourite mangetout recipes.

Thai Green Curry

A swan family favourite from our mangetout recipes is this mild thai curry. This recipe can feed the whole family (6) so adjust to the size of your tribe. For the curry you'll need:

750g skinless chicken thighs,
2 tbsp groundnut oil,
300g mixed oriental mushrooms,
400g tin of light coconut milk,
1 chicken stock cube,
6 lime leaves,
200g mangetout,
200g baby corn,
½ a bunch fresh Thai basil,
2 tbsp Thai green paste (store bought, or recipe below),
2 limes.

Slice the chicken into strips and tear the mushrooms into even pieces. Heat the oil in a large pan on a medium heat, add the chicken and mushrooms, fry for 5-8 minutes or until golden. Transfer to a plate using a slotted spoon.

Reduce the heat to medium-low and add the Thai green paste for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Pour in the coconut milk and 200ml of boiling water, crumble in the stock cube and add the lime leaves. Turn the heat up and bring to the boil, then simmer for 10 minutes.

Stir in the baby corn, chicken and mushrooms, reduce the heat to low and cook for a further 5 minutes, or until the chicken is cooked through, adding the mangetout for the final 2 minutes.

Season carefully to taste with sea salt and freshly ground black pepper. Pick, roughly chop and stir through the basil leaves and remaining coriander leaves. Serve with lime wedges and steamed rice.

Bright green mangetout in a wooden bowl and across surface for mangetout recipes blog.

To make your own paste, grab a pestle and mortar or food processer and mix the following together:

4 cloves of garlic,
2 shallots,
5cm piece of ginger,
2 lemongrass stalks,
4 green Bird's eye chillies,
1 teaspoon ground cumin,
½ a bunch of fresh coriander,
2 tablespoons fish sauce.

Sheem Bhaji

This Bangladeshi dish needs to be added to your fave mangetout recipes. Sheem is the Bangladeshi name for mangetout and it adds a kick of heat for your typical veggie dinner or side dish.

375g of mangetout,
2 tbsp of vegetable oil,
1 medium onion, sliced,
1/2 tsp salt,
1/4 tsp cumin powder,
1/2 tsp turmeric powder,
2 green chillies, split lengthways.

Top and tail the mangetout and slice widthways into thin slices. Heat the oil in a frying pan over medium heat and add the sliced onions with the salt and sauté for 2–3 minutes until translucent. Add the turmeric and cumin and cook for 1 minute. Stir in the mangetout so that everything is mixed well. Cover and cook for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add the chillies, reduce the heat to low and cover again, cooking for a further 5 minutes.

Add the coriander, cover again and cook for 7 minutes until the mangetout are softened. Check the seasoning and turn off the heat. Serve with plain boiled rice and a wedge of lime.

It's so easy to make and so unlike your usual mangetout side. It's now one of our favourite mangetout recipes.

Bright green mangetout salad in wood bowl for mangetout recipes blog.

Mangetout and Avocado Salad

Elevate your salad game by adding this vibrant and nutritious salad into your fave mangetout recipes. This recipe serves four and you'll need:

300g mangetout, trimmed,
200g tender stem broccoli,
2 avocados,
1 lemon,
4 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil,
1 tbsp Dijon-style mustard,
1 tbsp chopped fresh mint or tarragon,
2 handfuls of baby spinach, pea shoots or watercress,
200g of washed chickpeas.

Get a pan of water at a rolling boil and drop the mangetout in for no more than 1 minute, then set aside. Add the tender stem for 4 four minutes then set aside with the mangetout on kitchen paper to soak up the excess moisture.

While they rest, prepare the avocados. Halve lengthways and remove the stones. Carefully scoop the whole avocado out of the shell using a tablespoon then using a small knife, cut lengthways into thin strips.

Mix the juice of a lemon with the oil and mustard and dress the avocado pieces immediately. Then toss all the ingredients together in a bowl. Season to taste and serve.

You can mix this recipe up with some of your favourite salad items like thinly sliced red onion, or pumpkin seeds. The best thing about salads is finding new and interesting ways to suit you.

Pepper Beef with Mangetout

This marinated beef recipe from Chinese chef Ken Hom is perfect for meat lovers who want to try something new. It can even be adapted for the Stealth Smart Grill (simply make the sauce separately on the hob). Here's what you'll need:

450g beef fillet,
2 tsp light soy sauce,
2 tsp Shaoxing rice wine or dry sherry,
2 tsp sesame oil,
2 tsp cornflour,
salt and black pepper,
100g red or green peppers,
3 tbsp groundnut oil,
225g mangetout, trimmed,
150ml Chicken Stock or water,
3 tbsp oyster sauce.

Mix the soy sauce, rice wine, sesame oil, cornflour, pinch of salt and pepper. Mix well with the beef and allow the mixture to marinate for 15 minutes while you cut the peppers into strips.

Heat a wok or large until it's hot. Add the oil and when it's slightly smoking, fry the beef for 3 minutes. Remove the beef and drain in a colander or sieve, reserving the oil.

Wipe the wok or pan clean, then reheat it and return 1 tablespoon of the drained oil. When it's hot, stir-fry the pepper strips and mangetout for 2 minutes. Then add the chicken stock and oyster sauce and bring the mixture to the boil.

Then you can chop your beef and return to the pan and stir well. Or slice and place on top of your stir fried veg and sauce. Out of our mangetout recipes, this one is a winner.

Fresh mangetout recipes

Mangetout is such a versatile veggie that it can really shine in any dish and it can often be a go-to side. That's why the last on our list of mangetout recipes is just a humble side.

If you're looking for tasty mangetout recipes to serve with your main, why not try this out. It takes 5 minutes and all you need is:

1 tbsp groundnut oil,
75g mangetout,
3 cloves garlic, finely chopped,
1/2 tsp sugar,
100 ml chicken stock,
2 tsp sesame oil,
sesame seeds optional, to garnish.

Heat your wok or frying pan over a high heat and add the groundnut oil. When the oil is nearly smoking, add the garlic and fry for 10 seconds. Add a pinch of salt, the sugar and chicken stock and simmer for 2 minutes.

Add the mangetout and simmer for a further 3 minutes, until they are just turning tender but are still nice and crunchy. Mix in the sesame oil and serve, optionally sprinkled with a few sesame seeds.

Love our mangetout recipes?

We hope you try out these mangetout recipes. For more ideas on incorporating different veggies into your diet check out our post on the wintery-green Pak Choi.