We offer a selection of at least 15 mango varieties here,” says Sushil Gautam, a seasoned mango seller at Azadpur, Asia’s largest fruit and vegetable market in Delhi, as it gears up for the mango season. As you step through its gates, local vendors can be seen unloading cartons of mangoes from trucks parked at the market’s entrance. We are now in mid-season. The mango season at Azadpur begins in March, peaks in May, and extends until August. Among the varieties available, Gautam stocks Safeda, Dasheri, Surkha, Chausa, and Dhinga. More is to come by the end of this month. “Our mangoes come from various parts of the country, ranging from Gujarat to Karnataka,” he adds.
The tradition of enjoying mangoes is not unique to Delhi, remarks historian Sohail Hashmi, known for leading heritage walks through Delhi’s mango orchards, where he narrates stories about the fruit’s rich history. While mangoes are indigenous to the Indian subcontinent, the practice of crossbreeding was introduced during the Mughal era. “It was Babur who first introduced the culture of fruit cultivation in India,” Hashmi explains, though he didn’t quite take a shine to them. In contrast, Mughal emperors like Akbar, Jahangir, and Shah Jahan were deeply enamoured with Indian mangoes, so much so that they desired to have them year-round. “Since there were no refrigerators back then, they would store their mangoes in containers filled with honey to preserve them,” Hashmi elaborates.
Mehrauli’s picnics
Akbar Shah II, the penultimate Mughal emperor, had mango orchards, or ‘amraiyan’, planted that stretched across the Mehrauli area. “This stretch was known as the Andheria Bagh because the trees were so dense that sunlight could not penetrate through them. During the mango season, families, and sometimes entire localities, would go there for picnics, picking mangoes, and enjoying them,” he explains. However, with the advent of farmhouses, these open orchards began to disappear. Hashmi notes that if someone were to peek into these farmhouses, they might find some of the oldest planted mango trees.
About 50 kilometres from Delhi, in Rataul, there are mango orchards that boast over 300 varieties. This is also a place where Hashmi conducts the “mango trip” for mango enthusiasts. Besides the popular Alphonso, originally known as Ratnagiri and renamed after the Portuguese viceroy of India Afonso de Albuquerque, and Chausa, also known as Samar-e-Bahisht, there are varieties named after the person who established the orchard there – Hakimuddin Gola. There are also mangoes that were favourites of kings and queens – Badshahi Pasand and Shahzadi Pasand.
Mangoes, Kerala style
Childhoods in Kerala are full of memories of backyards blooming with mango trees with daily feasts of mango mojitos, curries, pickles, and desserts. Its golden mangoes are Alphonso—the one from Maharashtra, however, is more popular— and the long raw mangoes, salted and with additions of chilli powder, are Totapuri or Kilimooku. “Sometimes, identifying mangoes is something you can do but not explain,” says Ranganathan, a young vendor knowledgeable enough to explain the history of certain mangoes available in the Koyembedu market.
Baiju S Chittilappilly, who owns a farm in Kerala, explains how mango cultivators can often identify, through experience, the different mango trees based on the shape of their leaves. “The Alphonso’s leaf is longer than a lot of other varieties,” he says. “A good Alphonso mango will weigh up to 250 grams and will not have any blemishes or spots on its smooth skin,” points out Baiju as he speaks of this variant’s high demand.
With dark yellow flesh almost comparable to turmeric, Alphonso and Sendooram are widely available in nearly every market. Walking into the lanes of the Koyembedu market, reveals a public favourite — Imam Pasand. With its origin in Urdu stories to the possibility of it having been Emperor Humayun’s favourite, it is one of the sweetest mangoes available. Banganapalli is the middle child of the season and is a bit more pale though distinctly larger than many varieties. “Jawaad can be sweeter than Banganapalli sometimes. However, most people cannot afford many varieties, so Banganapalli is bought a lot,” pitches in another vendor, Sameer.
In May, comes Malgoa. With a smaller seed and more flesh, it is available well into the season. With a pale flesh, Malgoa is sweet even before ripening, unlike mangoes like Sendooram or even Neelam, says a seller. Neelam, a latecomer to the mango season, mainly comes from Andhra Pradesh.
A time for pickles
In Tamil Nadu, mango, salt, chilli powder, and oil are a perfect definition of a meal for many children. And what better place to hunt for raw mangoes than Mylapore that has exclusive mango markets this season near Kapaleeshwarar Temple. “These three months, April, May, and June, are the season for mangoes. We get these mangoes from the Koyembedu fruit market, where they arrive from Madhavaram,” says Shanthi, a vendor. The area, known for shops specifically selling ‘Avakkai manga’ or pickle mangoes, has a variety of raw mangoes that people use for making pickles. “The Avakkai mangoes are more sour than the Totapuri ones. People buy the mangoes according to their taste in pickles,” says Malliga, another shop owner. “I make pickles using Mavadu mangoes as they are rich in iron content. Their stems can also be added into pickles, which adds flavour to the pickle,” she adds.
The mention of mangoes often brings memories to many — of hanging onto a mango tree, plucking them, or making delicious desserts. Almost as if it knows its value, the golden fruit is a stand-out item in the fruit-cart all over the country that we are all reaching out for now.
Aam Dal/Toker Dal by Joyadrita Ragavendran Chatterjee
Ingredients
Red masoor dal: 1.5 cups
Raw mango (cut into long, thick strips): 1
Salt and sugar to taste
Turmeric powder
Mustard oil
Mustard seeds for tempering
Red chilli: 1
Method
Boil the red masoor dal with a couple of pieces of mango, salt, and turmeric powder.
Keep the other mango slices aside.
Heat mustard oil with the mustard seeds and red chilli in a wok temper.
Add the remaining mango slices and let it soften.
Next, pour the boiled dal.
Adjust salt. Add sugar.
The final dal should taste sweet and sour.
Gutali ki sabzi by Anitha B
Ingredients
Dry mango seeds: 4 or 5
Oil: 2 tsp
Mustard seeds: 1 tsp
Cumin seeds: 1 tsp
Hing: 1/2 tsp
Chilli powder: 2 tsp
Turmeric powder: 1/2 tsp
Coriander powder: 1.5 tsp
Salt to taste
Dry mango powder: 3/4 tsp
Method
Dry the mango seeds under the sun for a week. When the upper part is well dried, break open the shell, pull out the inner seeds, and dry it under the sun again for a week.
The pieces are very small; when dried well, we can store them for future use.
To cook, soak the mango seeds in water overnight. Wash and bring them to a boil till tender. Let them cool.
Add oil to a wok; when hot, add mustard seeds, cumin, and hing powder. Add the boiled seed and simmer cook for a few minutes chilli powder, turmeric powder, coriander powder, salt, and a little water.
Finally, add dry mango powder for a tangy taste. Mix well, bring to a boil, and turn off the flame.
Note: It can be stored in the fridge for a few days. You can also add a few red chilies for taste.
Aam Sondesh by Joyadrita Ragavendran Chatterjee
Ingredients
Ripe mango pulp: 1 cup
Home-made cottage cheese/paneer: 300g
Cardamom powder: A pinch
Ghee
Method
Take the cottage cheese on a plate and mash it for 10-12 minutes until it’s smooth.
Incorporate the mango pulp.
Take a pan and add this mixture to it.
Add in the cardamom powder and mix everything well until it all comes together and does not stick to the sides of the pan.
Put the mixture on a plate and let it cool until you can touch it.
Take small molds and brush them with ghee.
Tear off one small ball from the mixture and put it in a mould.
Aam kasundi by Joyadrita Ragavendran Chatterjee
Ingredients
Raw mango: 1
Mustard oil
Mustard seeds: 20 g
Salt and sugar to taste
Garlic pods: 5-6
Turmeric powder
Method
Put all the ingredients in a blender and blend into a fine paste.
Finish off with mustard oil.
Enjoy this relish with cutlets and dosas as a spread on bread/dosa/roti/paratha.
Mango Rasam by Mala Sekar
Ingredients
Raw mango: 1, medium size
Toor dal: 1 small cup
Tomato: 1
Pepper: 1 spoon
Cumin seeds: 1 spoon
Green or red chillies: 2
Crushed ginger: a small piece
Coriander leaves
Method
Pressure cook toor dal and raw mango with a pinch of turmeric on medium flame until two whistles.
Once it’s done, blend it into a smooth paste and add water if it’s too thick.
Add oil to a pan and add mustard, chilies, ginger, a pinch of asafoetida, and turmeric for tadka.
Chop the tomato and add it to the tadka along with salt.
After this is done, add the toor dal and raw mango paste.
Once it comes to a boil, add pepper and cumin powder
Garnish with coriander generously.
(Inputs from Meghana Sree R and Reshma Muthukumar)