The morning breeze slapped the pleasant fragrance of the mango flowers on my face, as I stood in my balcony on the third floor. I could behold the tree top which was thickly covered with whitish green mango flowers, reminding me of a bride’s veil.
The bees hovering over the flowers, the butterflies fluttering around and the birds which flew in and out of the tree cover, were all celebrating Spring. I could view a koel which landed on a branch, and it started to hum a sweet tune.
The age old story goes that the mute koel finds its voice only after eating the mango flowers. It could have been the imaginative expression of the poets of yore, but it is true that the bird is heard during the mango season.
I remember the time when we had a great time mimicking the stupid koels. The five of us – the four siblings and the koel – would go on and on and on with the kuhooo, kuhooo,kuhooo,until the song reached a high tempo as the decibels increased. We alternated with the koel one by one ,taking turns, for a long time, until finally the pleasing song ended up with the hysteric shrieks of the duped koel..
We were very patient when it came to waiting for the mango flowers to turn into small mangoes. But we were definitely not willing to wait until it reached its full growth. We ganged up under the tree and pelted stones at the baby mangoes which dropped down unable to withstand our attack. While two of us picked up the tiny mangoes, the other two sneaked into the kitchen to fetch chilly powder and salt.
Mother was against us eating raw mangoes since she feared that it would trigger the onset of heat boils in our body. Hence we took refuge under the green canopy of the mango tree on our terrace, where the tree had extended its branches. We savored the bitter sour mangoes with chilly powder and salt, as we laughed about each others distorted facial expressions caused by the unique taste.
There were occasions when we got caught and reprimanded or even beaten up for having broken the glass of a window or the glass dome on the lamp post which stood in the garden in our endeavor to secure the tiny mangoes.
All the houses in our locality had many or at least one mango tree in their respective gardens. It had become a customary friendly gesture to exchange mangoes with pleasantries among the neighbors during the mango season. Thus our house was flooded with all varieties of mangoes, gifted as well as our own,
Mother and grand mother had a hectic time sorting and segregating them for different purposes. Some were packed up in hay and stored away for ripening, some were used in different types of pickles. Some were diced, salted and sun dried for future use. Mother even made jam out of a few, which we enjoyed with our dosas and rotis.
We were never tired of the mango rice which mother prepared every other day until the mango season lasted.
Here is a simple method of preparing a delicious mango rice which I would like to share.
MANGO RICE 
Ingredients :
Rice – 250 gms/1 cup
Medium size raw mango – 1
Asafetida - 1 pinch
Red chillies - 6-8
Ground nuts – 50 gms
Turmeric powder – 1 pinch
Mustard seeds – ¼ tsp
Black gram dal – 1 tsp
Bengal gram dal – 1tsp
Salt - 1 ½ tsp or to taste
Curry leaves – a few
Cooking oil – 2 to 3 tbsps
Method :
1. Cook rice with enough water and cool it.
2. Heat oil in a pan. and add asafetida.
3. Add mustard seeds and let it splutter.
4. Add black gram dal and Bengal gram dal and roast till golden in colour.
5. Add ground nuts and roast until it cracks.
6. Add red chillies and curry leaves and toss for one more minute.
7. Add the grated raw mango followed by turmeric powder and salt.
8. Cook in low fire until the oil separates, remove from flame.
9. Break up the cooked and cooled rice and blend it with the cooked mango.
10. Enjoy the hot mango rice with raita or plain curd ,papad or chips as you wish.
