Ponk no Chevdo

Fresh tender sorghum snack mix — raw ponk (immature green jowar seeds) tossed with finely grated raw mango, pomegranate seeds, finely chopped onion, green chilli, fresh coriander, roasted peanuts, and a seasoning of salt and lime juice. Eaten entirely fresh and raw, nothing is cooked; the ponk seeds have a sweet, milky, corn-like flavour that pairs with the sharpness of raw mango and the crunch of peanuts. The most seasonal preparation in all of Surati cooking — the window for eating fresh ponk chevdo is a mere six to eight weeks in winter when ponk is available. Sold in newspaper cones at Surat's roadside ponk stalls; eating ponk chevdo is a winter ritual for Suratis that marks the season's beginning.