Exclusive: Mango shopping with Shriya Pilgaonkar; see pics

For Shriya Pilgaonkar, mango season is more than just a summer indulgence — it’s a familiar ritual filled with nostalgia, comfort and the simple joys of the summer. For our special mango-themed shoot, the actress known for her performances in projects like Mirzapur, The Broken News and Beecham House, slipped into a breezy yellow summer dress and wandered through a local market, stopping by a mango cart to handpick her favourites.‘I love my aamras with ghee’“I think what makes this heat slightly bearable is the fact that it’s mango season. I love my Hapus (Alphonso) aamba. Even as a child, summer really began with petis of mangoes coming home,” she says. Over the years, she’s developed an instinct for picking the best ones. “I have a knack for picking really sweet mangoes. We usually source ours from farms in Ratnagiri, so they’re fresh and organic.” Ask her how she enjoys eating them and she replies, “I love to eat mango as a whole fruit with my hands.

I eat four mangoes a day! I also love my aamras with ghee, which helps to cut the heat out of the fruit.”‘In our house, the first mango of the season is offered to God’Shriya’s love for mangoes is deeply rooted in her cultural upbringing. With her father’s (Sachin Pilgaonkar) side of the family hailing from Pilgao in Goa, their home is a blend of Maharashtrian and Goan influences, especially in the kitchen. “During mango season, we make some incredible dishes at home.

My favourite is the Ansa Fansa Chi Bhaji — it’s a combination of mango, jackfruit and pineapple. It’s a recipe that my ajji’s mother taught her, and this year I learnt how to make it.

The ripe mango adds sweetness, the jackfruit enhances it and the pineapple brings a slight tang — it’s a sweet and sour bhaji. In our house, the first mango of the season is always offered to God. We buy the first mango and offer it as naivedya — that’s how mango season officially begins.”

‘I enjoy all varieties of mangoes’While Alphonso remains her favourite, she’s quick to point out that her love isn’t limited to just one variety. “I also enjoy Pairi, Langda, Badami and Totapuri,” she says, adding, “When I was a kid, my mama (uncle) would come home with lots of mango petis. Summer for me wasn’t just school holidays, it was about eating lots of mangoes,” says the actress, who will be seen in two theatrical releases this year, Mirzapur The Movie and Haiwaan.