Mango rice made during the mango season, accompanied by cucumber in curd (pachadi) and papads, brings back memories of the hot summers I spent with my grandmother. When it was time for our long train journey back to Shillong, where we lived during our growing-up years, she would pack the tastiest mango rice for us.
Traditionally, the mango rice was wrapped in banana leaves, placed over a sheet of newspaper and neatly packed. The cucumber with yoghurt, which we called pachadi, was always packed in a stainless-steel dabba, as were the papads. The rice was tangy, with a hint of fresh curry leaves and spices. It travelled well without spoiling, and we would relish it with the crunchy papads along the way.
The dish reminds me of the mangoes that grew in my grandparents’ garden and connects me to Palakkad, known as Palghat in those days, in Kerala. At my grandparents’ home, the fruits and vegetables came fresh from the garden, making everything taste even more delicious.
The fragrance of food cooking would draw us towards the kitchen, where meals were prepared over a traditional fire fuelled by cow-dung cakes. The freshness of the mangoes and curry leaves, cooked in sesame oil and mixed with hand-pounded rice, was simply divine. Even today, mango rice takes me back to those hot summer days, long train journeys, my grandmother’s kitchen and the flavours of my grandparents’ home in Palakkad.
· Grate 2 raw mangoes. Cook 2 cups of rice and keep aside.
· Grind together 3 tablespoons of mustard seeds, 4 green chillies and ½ cup of grated coconut to make a coarse paste.
· Heat 2 tablespoons of sesame oil in a pan. Add 1 teaspoon of mustard seeds, ½ teaspoon of fenugreek seeds and a few curry leaves. Allow them to splutter.
· Add the grated mango and coconut paste, followed by turmeric and salt to taste. Sauté for about 5 minutes.
· Add the cooked rice and mix well until the mango mixture is evenly combined with the rice.
· Serve with cucumber pachadi and crunchy papads.
My Food Story is a collection of stories and recipes that celebrate India’s traditional plant-based ingredients sourced from local biodiversity. You can see these recipes on our interactive dashboard (https://www.cseindia.org/page/myfoodstory).
Vijaylakshmi Nagaraj is an author and storyteller from Karnataka