A Konkani dish that makes apt use of the season’s harvest: Jackfruit

She told me that she looks after the entire project, as we sat chatting in the beautiful garden in her home. It was surrounded by various kinds of trees and plants that bore vegetables and fruits — when plucked fresh and cooked to perfection, they make for delicious dishes, she said. She had a few jackfruit trees in the garden as well. During the season, her grandmother would make many dishes from the raw fruit. One such dish, which happens to be very popular among Konkanis, is chakko chane ghashi, also called chakko chane randayi.

At her home, such Konkani delicacies were waiting for us on the table, apart from typical Mangalorean staples. Going back in time, the history of Mangaluru deals with mythological stories of Indian epics, ancient kingdoms of South India, medieval kingdoms of the Muslim dynasty and the rulers of European colonial eras. The name ‘Mangalore’ has been mentioned in many ancient works of Hindu mythological and political history. Some talk about Lord Rama’s rule over the region, others about the food served at feasts especially by the youngest of the Pandavas, Sachdeva — the just ruler.

Mangaluru is also highlighted in many references made by foreign travellers in their accounts. Cosmos Indicopleustes, a Greek monk, referred to the port of Mangalore as Mangarouth. Pliny the Elder, a Roman historian, made references to a place called Nitrias. The Greek historian Ptolemy referred Mangaluru as Nitra in the early times. European influence in Mangaluru can be traced back to the 15th century, when the Portuguese explorer Vasco da Gama landed on St Mary’s Island nearby. Later, Tippu Sultan named Mangalore as the ‘City of Revolt’ against the British East India Company.

— Chef Ramaa Shanker is the author ofFestive Offerings to the Gods:Divine Soul Recipes