Vibrant mango salsa

The  green manga is something all we Indians love. Our love for this seasonal treat reverberates in every home in the form of many tongue tickling dishes and ear tickling manga stories ! The manga pickle is something that we have been making at home without fail every year from the green mangoes that our trees unfailingly gift us in glorious plenty !

This year ,thanks to many circumstances , I happen to be in my home town in the month of May instead of travelling . Everything always comes with an advantage however small or big. It may seem insignificant to most but I like to pick up on even the little joys….the kind that truly uplift your day 🙂 ! So ! …as I was saying , thanks to spending the holidays here ,I found some plump ,healthy killi mookku mangas ! To a South Indian ,these are just the best thing about summer! What got me really enthusiastic was that these were completely organic and can be chomped on without a worrisome thought. Of course , I couldn’t  buy them just for us ,the entire family had to benefit from this discovery.

One cannot indulge in luscious slices of this particular mango alone ,the sight of which smeared with chilli powder and salt ,tantalises and beckons simultaneously…yummmm   …. No sireee (!) ,this one is meant for sharing ,wincing together as the teeth grind against bits of sour pulp before the salt and chilli powder kick in to overwork the salivary glands to unimaginable lengths and to savor the note of mellow sweetness that follows the final gulp. It truly is a taste to experience. It’s also referred to as the Totapuri mango but in these parts they are only referred to as killi mooku , meaning parrot’s beak ,because of the way they curve into a slight hook at the end.

The inside is a luminescent yellow not too pale nor vivid ,just the right touch of sunshine ! It does ripen and can be eaten like a fruit . The best part however to catch it at that inbetween tart sweet stage . DELICIOUS !

My manga ,uppu , molagapodi craving satiated ,we still had plenty more at home. Friends for lunch offered the perfect opportunity to experiment with this yummy ingredient. Spotting a big bag of nachos in my pantry cupboard resulted in thoughts of mango salsa. Love this way of cooking,where the happy thoughts decide on the flavour profile.

All decided ,lined up , chopped , mixed ,tasted ,stirred ,tasted again and yes ,thankfully remembered to take a picture and here it is … my , ‘happy to have friends visit mango salsa‘ 😀

Mexicans have such similar flavour profiles as Indians. A salsa can be saucy or chunky ,just like our chutneys and pachadis ! We are equally fond of the spicy and the sour with the crunch. So keeping that and freshness in mind,comes this inter mingling of tastes .

AND , If I were you , I would buy that killi mooku manga pronto and chomp on baked nachos and mango salsa for tea…with the pitter patter of raindrops to keep you company….I’d call that “having your holiday and eating it too ” !!! LOL

Enjoy !