By IANS,
New Delhi : A luscious spread of mangoes, mango sherbet, sheekh kebab, chaat and some relaxed chit-chat… Celebrities, politicians and senior editors tucked into an assortment of sweet mangoes as they chatted over politics and other trivia at a do at union minister Salman Khurshid’s home here Saturday.
Khurshid’s annual Aam Dawat saw senior and not-so senior editors share jokes and laughter with the union law minister and with V. Narayanasamy, union minister of state in the Prime Minister’s Office, as the two senior Congress leaders joined in the light banter.
Or, invitees helped themselves to the delectable snacks – gol gappas, papri chaat, kulcha chana, for the vegetarians, and sheekh kebab, biryani and mutton korma for the non-vegetarians. And every table had a huge steel tub filled with mangoes covered in ice to keep the fruit chilled. Guests helped themselves liberally to the mangoes, and jamuns.
The dawat, held under a huge marquee on the lawns at the minister’s house, also had on display many unique mango varieties at the entrance. Check the names: Heer, Mazbu, Nausha Mairaj, Lalji Pasand Rataul, Shakar Chini, Chitla Kalkati, Husnaara and, even Haramzada!
The mango varieties on display were from the orchards of Meiraj ud-din Ahmed, a friend of Khurshid. Ahmed, who said he is a former minister of Uttar Pradesh, said he grows 700 varieties of mangoes in his orchard in Rataul, Uttar Pradesh.
Explaining some of the odd names of the mangoes, Ahmed told IANS that the name Haramzada or bastard was given as the mango is bland tasting, “you can’t eat it”.
The Husnaara got its name as the small green mangoes with crimson patches seemed to be blushing.
Khurshid and his wife Louise were the perfect hosts as they mixed around, exchanging greetings with guests.