Chef Nishant Choubey’s Mango Litchi Ceviche with Curried Coconut Milk recipe is a playful Indian take on the Peruvian classic

The dish I present, Mango Litchi Ceviche with Curried Coconut Milk, is a sunshine-soaked ode to the tropics — a playful reinterpretation of the classic Latin American Ceviche through an Indian lens.

Ceviche, traditionally a coastal Peruvian preparation where raw fish is ‘cooked’ in citrus, is all about brightness and freshness. But here, we flip the narrative: no seafood, no formality — just seasonal mangoes and litchis, the undisputed summer royalty of the Indian subcontinent. This recipe has the correct blend of both raw and ripe mangoes.

Mango, often called the ‘King of Fruits,’ has been cultivated in India for more than 4,000 years. Its arrival marks celebration, nostalgia and sticky fingers. Litchi, though native to China, found a warm welcome in India, especially in the fertile plains of Bihar where it now grows abundantly, bursting with perfume and juice. Remember, litchis from Muzzafarpur are the best, and so unique.

Pairing these two sun-kissed fruits with ingredients like bird’s eye chilli, red pepper, shallots, mint and lime, we mirror ceviche’s zing, but with a tropical twist.

The curried fresh coconut milk, gently tempered with mustard seeds, curry leaves, and turmeric, anchors the dish back to the southern coastal kitchens of India, particularly Kerala and coastal Karnataka. It’s inspired by the soul-soothing simplicity of ‘mooru curry’ or ‘kadhi’, reimagined here as a chilled, creamy broth to hug the bright fruit ceviche.

This dish is not just about flavour — it’s about collisions and harmonies:

Peru meets Patna, Lima meets Kerala.

Sweet meets heat, fruit meets spice.

And above all, tradition meets innovation!

Mango Litchi Ceviche with Curried Coconut Milk

Ingredients

For the Ceviche

Ripe mango (diced small)                                     1

Fresh litchis (peeled, pitted and sliced)             6-8

Red bell pepper (finely diced)                              ¼

Red chilli or bird’s eye chilli (finely chopped)   1

Shallot (small, thinly sliced)                                  1

Fresh coriander (chopped)                                    A handful

Fresh mint (chiffonade/for garnish)                   A few leaves

Lime juice (freshly squeezed)                                2 tbsp

Salt                                                                              To taste

For the Curried Coconut Milk

Coconut milk (full-fat, unsweetened)                  ½ cup

Curry leaf                                                                   4-5

Mustard seeds                                                           ¼ tsp

Turmeric powder                                                     ¼ tsp

Ginger (grated)                                                         ½ tsp

Green chilli (optional, slit)                                     ½

Salt                                                                              To taste

Coconut oil                                                                1 tsp

Method

Preparing the Curried Coconut Milk:

Temper the base: Heat coconut oil in a small pan. Add mustard seeds. Once they crackle, add curry leaves and green chilli.

Add ginger and turmeric. Stir for a few seconds.

Lower the heat and pour in the coconut milk. Simmer gently for 2-3 minutes. Season with salt.

Let it come to room temperature. It should be pourable but creamy.

Assembling the Ceviche:

In a mixing bowl, combine mango, litchi, red bell pepper, shallot, chilli, coriander and mint.

Add lime juice and salt. Toss gently, and let it sit for 5-10 minutes to lightly macerate (soften).

Spoon the ceviche into a coconut shell.

To serve

Drizzle chilled Curried Coconut Milk around or under the Ceviche.

— Author of ‘Stay with Indus’, Chef Nishant Choubey is Consulting Chef for Michelin Plated Indus (Bangkok) and Corporate Chef of Seinan Group (Tokyo). He also won Independent Chef of the Year Award for 2024