As spring turns to summer in the lower-Gangetic plains, people start preparing for the oppressive heat of the months to come. Cooling foods slowly start getting incorporated into the diet to combat the rising temperatures. But perhaps nothing signals the arrival of spring in Bengal than the kalboishakhi—spells of late-afternoon thunderstorms that are localized to the region. One byproduct of this north-westerly cyclone is that it causes a lot of mangoes to prematurely fall off trees. While that is not good news for ardent lovers of this fleshy, tropical fruit, it gives us an opportunity to prepare a rather delightful tok dal out of the unripe, sour, green mangoes.