Perspective - Kanniks

 I do not know of the origin of the word thokku. But I like the delicacy for sure.

My daugther asked me to write about  thokku.

 Why?

She had particularly liked the post on tairsadam, so she wanted me to complement it with one on thokku.

Fine.

Fine is the  word. The green mangos that go into the thokku have to be finely shredded before they qualify for  entering the thokku.

Of course, the peel should be carefully removed.

I have observed my grandmother making thokku in the 60s.

First the mangos would be peeled and shredded. Then the oil would be heated and flavored using the finest of ingredients (the methi (fenugreek) plays a big role).

The mangos would be sauted in oil; the amount of oil would  cause a dietician to cringe. Then would come a liberal dose of red chilly powder and the cooking mixture would soon begin to look evil.

Grandmother would know exactly when to take it off the stove. She would know exactly how much salt to add.

The whole house would smell of thokku and the tairsadam consumption on that day would be at an all time high.

I drool as I think of it.

And as I drool, I am reminded of one of the best commercials on Sun TV. Ruchi!

Aha! What imagination! Bringing a music teacher in, having her drool at the sight of the pickle bottle on the dining table, and having every note in the scale of sankarabharanam transform into a drool ridden note!

Although the ad caused many a nose to wrinkle in disgust, it had a great impact.  It has been about 5 years since that ad has gone off I think.

PS: Although the articles details the making of manga thokku, the genre of thokku embraces a wide variety of vegetables such as tomatos, chillies and even fruits such as cranberries.