Of mangoes and more

The word mango immediately turns my brain to reminiscence mode. I am taken back to the terrace of my childhood home....me, my brother and cousins on the sunshade, and on top of the chimney, reaching out and plucking tender, green mangoes. My grandma and mother used to warn us of dire consequences....."You'll fall down and break your leg","Your stomach is going to hurt"....but all this fell on deaf ears.
One of us would have invariably smuggled up some chilli powder and salt. Biting into the crunchy green mango coated with spice....this was happiness in its purest form.
The only thing that could beat this taste was throwing stones at the neighbour's mango tree and jumping over the wall to fetch the loot before he found out.(Yeah....my bad). Don't know why...but mangoes always tasted better when there was some adventure involved in getting them.
Mangoes also meant amazing pickes.....one of my all time favourites in thokku. It's real easy to make and lip-smacking good!!!


What you need:
Raw mango - 2
Oil - 1/3 cup(Preferably gingely oil)
Mustard seeds(optional)
Red chilli powder - 1 and 1/4 tsp (adjust to suit your palate)
Salt - to taste
Jaggery - a little (optional)

Peel and grate the mangoes. Alternatively, you can slice them into thin pieces. Heat oil and add mustard seeds. When the seeds pop, add the grated mango, red chilli powder and salt. Reduce the heat and let it cook, stirring occasionally until the oil leaves the sides of the vessel and the mangoes are done. Add jaggery. Stir and cook for a few more minutes.
Enjoy with your favourite foods.
I love to eat this with literally everything that I make - rice, roti, idli, dosa.....