The evergreen magic of raw mangoes

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If there is one good reason to tolerate the beastly Indian summer, it is the mango – the juicy, luscious, seductive king (or queen?) of fruits. But then, every story has a preface and every sonata, an allegro. Similarly, every mango has a prelude – the raw mango that appears in early spring and lasts through a considerable part of summer.

If you thought you would wait till the mango ripens to eat, it will be a monumental mistake. The mango can be relished even when it is unripe.

In fact, the green mango lends itself admirably to different preparations and different states in India have their own traditions to savour it.

An age-old way of consuming raw mangoes is to slice them and savour them with a bit of salt. It has been a particular favourite with young girls in the eastern part of the country.

Mango pickles are worshipped throughout the country. This concoction made with small pieces of raw mango, mustard poil, spices and salt is kept in sunlight for a few days before one consumes it with paratha – a whole range of them from plain to stuffed – rice and dal or almost any curry with rice. The Punjabi variety often contains fenugreek and mustard seeds.

A close cousin of the pickle is the raw mango chutney which, in varying consistencies, is a common item in Indian kitchen during the entire length of summer. Now even some plush restaurants offer mango chutney to end an authentic Indian lunch or dinner, especially in the eastern states.

Though mango chutney can be a bit thick, the most preferred variety is the almost watery, pale yellow liquid that has a few black mustard seeds floating in liquid that balances sweet and sour taste like a tightrope walker in a circus. The slices of mango that is dipped in the chutney is a special delight to chew till there is nothing left to extract in the fibre.

Dishes

In states such as Bengal and Uttar Pradesh, dal made with raw mango has numerous devoted followers. While in Bengal they put raw mango in masoor dal, in UP tur dal is more frequently used, the mango lending a degree of sour taste to the dal.

A big hit in some states where fish is a favourite is cooking fisha with raw mangoes, the latter lending a slightly sour taste to the curry. The combination works well and the mango imparts a subtle sour taste to the gravy. The item is savoured with rice.

A lot of ingredients go into this dish which is a favourite in many households in coastal states like Kerala. Apart from fish and raw mango, it needs items such as coconut, mustard seeds, onion, red chilli, green chilli, lemon juice, turmeric powder, oil, salt, curry leaves, coriander, rice flour and coriander.

If you are making salads at home, depend on the tangy raw mango to spice it up. A recipe recommended by gourmands consists of sweet corn, tomatoes, pineapple and tangy raw mango. The mango is chopped into small pieces and mixed with the rest. The concoction offers a burst of flavours in the mouth.

Those who believe in Ayurveda and those who don’t alike would tell you that aam panna is a traditional home remedy for anyone suffering heat stroke. Throw in a bit of mint leaves and chilled water, or ice cubes, and you have a nice cool drink that tastes delicious as well.