Helen Goh’s recipe for pineapple and mango paletas | Food

The 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.

Pineapple and mango paletas

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 base syrup
70g caster sugar

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.