I am going to let the pictures do most of the talking. The Mambazham/mango festival is happening at the moment in Kanakakkunnu Palace, Thiruvananthapuram, the capital of Kerala, India. Those of you who want to go for an outing with the family ideally without the toddlers, this is quite inviting!
As for the husband and I, it was more of an evening walk plus absorbing in the sights and sounds of the venue. He knows my craze for food related stuff and is my partner in crime always. Infact if there are things that I fail to notice or capture, he will hail me and point them out to me!
He did ask me if I wanted to stand somewhere between a few of these character cut-outs and take a picture. That's not for me. Saw many taking selfies or posing with their kids. My strong advice, leave the kids behind, it is a crowded venue with the extended weekend. Parking your four wheelers should not be a problem as they do have a lot of space in and around the palace. Even the NO PARKING outside on the adjacent road becomes permissible with this crowd pulling display!
At the moment it is Rs.20 as the entry fee. I am clueless if kids are exempted!!! I did see some guy with a huge family flash some card inserted in his wallet and that allowed all his family members in...it was too dark for me to decipher what or who he was! It is there until the tenth of May! Timings are from 11 am to 9 pm (do confirm before going)
http://www.yentha.com/events/view/mambazholsavam-2015
Although this does look inviting, some veggie in this was a bit stale when we had the combo. Perhaps he is out in the sun the whole day and it was just our bad luck!!! Maybe different for somebody else! Rs. 20 a small plate! I didn't enjoy the mix n match of his spices!
Now this is a beautiful sight! The colours always play chaos in my head!!! And the flavours I could only visualize!!! The flavours are way beyond my childhood memories of halwas. These are the new gen halwas catering to the modern twists and fusion.
This is something I love doing with my bakes!!! How things have started to change in halwas as well!!! earlier one would just see broken bits of selected nuts scattered all over and we would get them in every bite! I love this display!!!
Copra halwa, now that is a first for my eyes!!! What at treat! I didn't try...calories, sweet, WHY OH WHY!!!! The banner below says Kozhicode/Calicut variety. You can buy a box which has seven tastes and flavours! That box is around Rs.270 plus!
The varieties on display are Copra halwa, Pineapple, strawberry, cherry, Ethapazham/Nenthraka etc etc
I don't know what all these guys were doing with the mango festival but they did lure a crowd!!! Mangoes need knives huh to slice them!!! Gorgeous props!!! for my food, my heart pounds harder and faster in excitement!!!
Take your pick!!! They may be slim to hold but they are sharp!!! My sis who joined us for this walk advised us to pick one or two as they are handy! We bought the sharpeners as well! She bought me one of those rod like rustic knife sharpeners! Will edit that once I know the exact name!!! UPDATED-I understand they are called honing steel. I already have a ceramic one at home, now I got an iron one too!
The banner says Palakkad Curry Knives
Such a treat in appearance, taste and flavour. If you listen to some of the ingredients that go in...amazing!!! Gooseberry pickle marinated in honey and ginger!!! pineapple, grenadine, mango pickle and the works!!! This is an interesting stop over! Achaars Galore!!! You just need a stuffed paratha, some raitha and this achaar!!! your meal is done!
My two cents-they could have cling wrapped them or had them with their lids on!!!
That's the pickle stand! Rajasthan pickles/achaars
Stuffed Red Chillies with amchur powder and all that jazz!!! I may go back again just for this! I forgot to pick it up!
Ok now this guy was swaying about so I couldn't get a clear pic but he was a good marketer, he literally lured people with his drama and talk. Such a drama queen! Well done! He emoted the taste of the mangoes by enticing the folks with the taste and his antiques!!! People did gather around to watch him.
He's absolutely spot on with his talk...these are the fruits that we throw stones and steal them from the neighours' trees or from the roadsides. Panjara Varikka as the name says below-Sugary Varikka mango! I hope he made a lot of business because he was fun to watch and I loved his strategy! Just be yourself, one life! Yenjoy! Such an amusing guy in the midst of all the serious salesmen!
That is his stall in the picture below.
24 varieties of mangoes on display in this shop. I could only identify three :( so much to learn!!!
Perakka manga-the mango that resembles a guava :) below and above is Neelam/Blue mangoes. Nothing #damn about them am sure!!!
Work is worship!!!
Benganapalli!!!
Alphonso, if I am right! My first ever experience of having this was on a sad occasion. When we detected mom's cancer during her initial days, we had to rush her to TaTa Cancer centre in Mumbai. While we were on the streets of Mumbai to buy her a couple of nightgowns which were open in front as she was going in for a mastectomy soon, my father spotted these and bought them.
Being the daughter present with her at that time as her caretaker and bystander, Pa bought these for me to taste and enjoy! The taste lingers...Mumbai of those days are vivid in my heart and mind!!! Those painful walks with her searching for the perfect nightgown, my own innocence and naivety of the illness...I could jump the track and go on...but hey we are talking about the mango festival!!! Mom's gone!!! Almost fourteen years ago...mom's daughters are walking together enjoying the mango festival!
Salem mangoes. I think this is the mango that grows in our compound back in Chennai. I make pickles from these!!!
Who doesn't love the peanut seller? I love the sound of the roasting, the way the huge spatula goes back and forth...that evening cart being pulled, the light from the petromax lamp. Those little paper cones filled with peanuts!!! The smell, the sound and the man himself!!!
If you trust it, drink it!!! It was heavenly!!! the chunky bits of those grapes in the cold drink is something to chew and enjoy!!! If you are one of those finicky types about the hygiene or water, don't drink!!! It is your choice, but the three of us enjoyed this along with our peanuts!!!
An evening well spent! Some walks are meant to be done just because you derive happiness from them! They strengthen the bonding between us the walkers, also we connect with nature and its bounties and we learn to appreciate life and its worth in retrospect!
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