This Mango Thokku is the Only Condiment You Need this Summer
Mango thokku, a delicious accompaniment to a variety of meals is as simple as it is delicious.
Summers meant long afternoons in the neighbourhood with friends. The streets were filled with mango and gooseberry trees, that we would inevitably climb, responding to the siren call of fresh fruit. We’d hand over most to Ajji, keeping a few for ourselves to devour; the sourness never mattered.
We would hang out at the empty site, our playground, playing badminton for hours, famished by the end of the evening. We would come home to find that Ajji had made a feast with mangoes —mango rice, mango pickle, mango chutney, and mango shake. But I always loved her mango thokku best. Nothing made for a better meal on a rainy Bangalore night than hot rice with mango thokku; or on scorching afternoons, curd rice and mango thokku. And on Sundays — our favourite — hot, crisp dosas and sour-sweet mango thokku.
Recipe: Ajji's Mango Thokku
Ingredients
1 kg fresh raw mangoes
2 tsp mustard seeds, divided
2-3 tsp red chilli powder (adjust based on your spice levels)
1 tsp turmeric
1/2 tsp fenugreek seeds
A pinch of asafoetida
2-3 cloves garlic (optional)
Oil, as needed
Curry leaves
Salt
Method
Wash the raw mangoes and pat them dry.
Now peel the skin, and grate the mangoes.
To make the tempering, heat the oil in a thick pan and add 1 tsp mustard seeds, followed by the curry leaves before the oil starts spluttering. (Garlic can also be added if you desire)
Next, add in the grated mangoes. Sauté the mangoes for a minute or two.
Add the salt and turmeric and give it a good mix — this is when the aromas start developing.
Continue until the mangoes become soft.
Meanwhile, in a separate pan, dry-roast 1 tsp mustard seeds and the fenugreek seeds.
Add in a few drops of oil, and add the chilli powder, followed by the asafoetida.
Add this masala along with the oil to the cooked mangoes.
Continue cooking the thokku down till the oils separate from the sides — this is when you know it is ready.
Remember to store it in the airtight jars once it has cooled down. Always use a dry spoon so that it doesn't spoil.
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