Social media here in India has really changed in the last three weeks. We have gone from sharing reels and content around how much our lives suck at home to amplifying leads and sharing numbers for essential COVID supplies. In many ways, social media is showing us ground realities of the work being done and in turn not done to ensure India survives the pandemic. While still is a hotbed for anger against the world, social media has somehow also become a community of people devoted to building and sharing vital information in hopes that people dont lose their loved ones. We are consciously looking for information and ensuring that the information being shared is real and valid. This is very new. In fact, content products that weren’t as popular on platforms such as guides on Instagram and advanced search on Twitter have become vital engines running a majority of information sharing. This too is really fascinating to me. We have suddenly moved from a listen and throw away consumers of digital content to a listen and act community of activists.

Community is literally the sales pitch of any social media platform. It’s so popular as a term that it’s more commonly abused than revered. The second wave really shows us the power of an action-oriented community. One that finds solutions, celebrates the people doing good work, and ensuring everyone understand the message. Communities are not easy to build, however. It’s even harder to assess on social media. Someone liking or commenting on your content doesn’t mean they are part of your community. It just means that people like the things you make. It’s like going to an art gallery, viewing artworks, and clapping next to them signifying your liking for the work. Its vapid, transactional, and denotes a clear power misbalance between the artists and the people that appreciate the artwork. So how do you know if you have built a community and not just another billboard for your work (nothing wrong with a nice looking billboard)? In a community, there is two-way communication. People engage with one another under a common topic. Communities are action-oriented— if I share a recipe, how many people come back to me and share pictures of what they made? That defines a community. Most importantly, a community is a space that celebrates the work of one singular person and the members that make this person valuable enough to follow.

These are the three things that I think of when I think of digital communities. In March, I built out a month-long campaign that celebrated my community. Specifically, the women in my community which, on Instagram, comprises 89% of my total audience (ps. Brands, sell women-oriented products through me please. My female audience is far larger than most female influencers on Instagram). The goal was to celebrate International Women’s Day: to showcase female-led businesses on my Instagram. I asked for businesses to reach out to me with the thought that at max ten businesses will email me. Turns out, more than 50 businesses reached out and I was overwhelmed. I quickly rolled up my digital marketing sleeves and built out a content calendar. Reached out to 41 businesses individually, worked with them to build content, and then rolled out the whole plan in under a week. March was super fun for me. I got to meet and see so many new businesses and the wonderful women that built them. For the first time, I felt that my platform has a value that can help me and these amazing companies. For the first time, I believed that I had a community.

I really just wanted to talk about this and nothing else haha. Its correlation to tacos is far and few other than the fact that tacos are rarely made for one. You would either mix up a big batch of marinated proteins to feed a full family or repurpose leftovers into a filling. Portobellos however offer a happy medium. Given their size, two mushrooms are good enough for a meal for one. They take very little time to prep therefore ideal for a quick, yummy bite! I hope you enjoy this recipe, and if you take away anything from this recipe it should be that the only salsa you ever need in life is one that has mangoes! Happy cooking.

Ingredients

Serves 2

2 Portobello Mushrooms, washed and stemmed

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar

4-6 tortillas or Rotis

For the Mango Salsa

1 ripe mango, cubed 

1/2 red bell pepper cut in rough squares

1/2 green bell pepper cut in rough squares

1 small onion chopped finely

Handful coriander leaves roughly chopped 

1 teaspoon of red chilli powder or chaat masala

Pinch of Himalayan pink salt and pepper  

Optional Toppings

Feta cheese

mint

Pickled onions

Method

1. In a bowl add olive oil, balsamic, and salt along with your portobello mushrooms and massage them well. Keep aside for 10-30 minutes

2. Add to the mushrooms on a hot grill pan or a skillet and grill for 5 minutes on both sides. Slice thin lengthwise

3. Make a mango salsa by adding all the ingredients together and mix well. Best served chilled

4. For the assembly, use a roti/tortilla, add the mushrooms along with the toppings of your choice!