New Delhi, May 15 -- Growing up, the highlight of every summer vacation in my hometown of Mangaluru was the wild mango curry. My cousins and I would abandon all dignity over plates of hot rice and the golden curry like it was our last meal.

Back then these wild mangoes were deemed far too rustic for professional kitchens. But that is changing. Last summer, the standout dish at chef Amninder Sandhu's Bawri in Goa wasn't a complex modern creation, but a wild mango curry from a variety that grows in the restaurant's backyard.

Mainstream chefs have long favoured the Alphonso, Baganapalli or Badami as they have a uniform shape, buttery texture and a thick skin that survives the rigours of transportation. Their predictable sweetness makes the...