Mangai Sadam

Raw mango rice — cooked, cooled rice tossed with freshly grated raw green mango, turmeric, salt, and a tempering of mustard seeds, urad dal, chana dal, dried red chilli, green chilli, fresh ginger, and curry leaves fried in sesame oil, along with a handful of raw peanuts fried until crisp. The raw mango provides intense sourness and a fruity, resinous aroma; the sesame oil provides nuttiness; the peanuts provide crunch. Made during the peak raw mango season (March to May) in Tamil Nadu when green mangoes are at their most aromatic and intensely sour. Along with lemon rice and tamarind rice, mango rice completes the Tamil Brahmin trinity of acidic rice preparations for travel and temple visits.