Mangoes and patience go into this rare tribal recipe

The season of mangoes is already here and the lovers of this delicious fruit are eager to consume it in different forms. From the raw and sour mangoes to the ripe and sweet ones, mangoes have always been many's favourite fruit. The tribal community Vetta Kurumar loves raw and ripened mangoes very much and they often use the fruit in different forms in their cuisine.

Kashumpuli is a delicacy made by squeezing the extract from ripened mangoes and then thickening it on simmer. The mango extract is heated up and stirred until it turns a distinctive dark hue. Kasumbuliy is cooled down before using it in other dishes as an alternative for tamarind for sourness.

However, it takes almost up to two days to prepare kashumpuli. Lots of firewood has to be burned to make the dish. Besides, the vessel in which kashumpuli is made cannot be used to cook anything else. It is said that the vessel in which the dish is prepared would disintegrate itself after a few days. The Vetta Kurumar tribal community uses kashumpuli not only as part of their cuisine but also as a potent remedy for cough and sore throat.