Of Tangy Childhoods and Tender Mangoes  

All sweet memories are never forgotten-and so are the bitter ones. But what about the tangy memories: the kind that bring a burst of saliva in your mouth? Yes, I have lots of nostalgic tangy memories, of the raw tamarinds, the raw mangoes that we cherished in our childhood days.

In those early spring days, our mornings start with the hunt for tender mangoes (kannimanga in Malayalam) in the courtyard. As the sunshine enters through the slits of the wooden windows in the soothing chills of the Jan-Feb morning, we get ready for another day of routine. For a girl of 8 or 9, the main activity, apart from going to school, is to play – play in the sand, water and air (on the tree!).

Kannimanga played a lead role in our games those days. There was a tall moovandan (a common mango variety in Kerala) tree in our front yard. The first thing we do after waking up is to fetch the freshly fallen tender mangoes from that. That wasn’t enough; we would also collect them from a few houses on the way back from school. Those families, especially the mothers in those homes, never bothered even when we entered their compound without permission. When thirsty, we also drew water from their well without permission, and they never bothered about it.

Soon back home, we cut the kannimanga into small pieces and add chilli powder and salt. Next we rush to our makeshift playhouse (kuttipura) built in the backyard where all neighbourhood friends assemble after school. There we would take on different roles –  father, mother, daughter, son, etc. Different types of foods are cooked in vessels (mostly coconut shells), with the ingredients being the leaves, sticks, stones and whatnot! But the original kannimanga stood apart, with all of us enjoying the tangy taste, better expressed through the winking of eyes and smacking of lips. After a long chitchat and partying we will leave the house intact only to come back the next day.

Reliving the Flavours with Kochechi

A generation after, those memories are relived in Kochechi’s kitchen. A tribute to those old childhood days, these mango recipes from Kochechi will surely take you through those days once again – the days lost forever, but cherished forever.

Rajani Baburajan