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Chutta Katthirikaai Kootu

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sapr333

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For almost 2 decades,in vain, my tongue lingers on to try this savouring brinjal kootu (a kind of chutney) used by the paddy harvesters.

When we were in primary school, the paddy harvesting day is the most enjoyable day, since we get one day break from night studies/tution and homework. Brothers and sisters will be assigned each, one paddy field, and our job is to keep a count on the number of paddy stacks getting shipped to the yard. Simply, a Police man job to ensure that the harvestor don't steal them in the middle of transit. And the best thing enjoyed out was, dining with them, in a traditional village style.And the way the harvesters make their lunch in the paddy field is something a lost culture in this cellphone/tetrapack era.

An instant aduppu(stove) made out of a small newly dug 1ft' deep pit with 3 corner stones and over it a huge 50 Lts clay pot. Fire wood picked from the nearby mango trees or coconut 'mattai' was the LPG of that day. The water used is from the nearby fresh water oozing pond, I mean a kind of 'well', but not more than 3 ft deep.. Rice, green gram,small onion,vendhayam and many a different spices (dont remember them) added to it, and let it boil for an hour to make a Rice gangji..Once done, an inch of its top layer is filled with grated coconut and pot will be shifted from the Aduppu..

And in the middle, the youngest boy (trainee) of the harvestors, would be exclusively working on making this 'Chutta katthirikai Kootu'. Once the Ganji cooking is over, he puts some 10-20 brinjals deep in to the the firewood splinters of the aduppu. Wait till all the dip-dup sound ends and scoop the burnt brinjals out of fire, and peel the burnt skins of that hot brinjal with bare hand ..You need some skill here, to work without gloves!!. Parallely, he get burnt the red-chillies in the same fire (not for soonyam & Spell).. One need to move 10 ft away, cos we cant stand that burnt-chilly smell emnating from stove. Next, he stuffs 2 handfull of Chinna venkayam (button onions) in to the same firewood, wait for 5 minutes and then scoop them out.. This burnt onion smell is really aromatic.. And next on the fire is 'Mr.Garlic"..Yeh, burnt garlic generates a bit of puking sensation. Then he get burnt 2 unbroken coconuts (with the water inside).. Bursting of the coconut in fire, and spilling of coconut water is an interesting scene to watch..Innovatively, it works as a fire extinguisher, as his mission of fire wood cooking is almost over.

Then he climbs the nearby mango tree, and plucks 2 green mangoes. Next, is grating the coconut.. I enjoyed eating those coconut grates, inspite of their admonishment, that, eating raw coconut grates will incubate tape/round worms in stomach and may die of bloating stomach!! What an innovative way to fear kids from munching coconut!!. He goes and takes a small handy granite stone, and cleans well in running steam of water. Puts one brinjal in each cherattai (coconut shell), a pinch of salt, and few pinches of spices, possibly Jeeraaham,kadugu,Vendhayam (dont remember these spicy formula),3 chutta small onion, strip of green mango, may be 3 lobes of tarmarind, 2 pc burnt red chilli, and fill up to the brim of cherattai bowl with burnt grated coconut. And with that stone, smashes them for about 10 minutes until they become a paste, to a light green-reddish colour.. Still that aroma echoes in my mind..

Oh my!!! This kootu along with the steaming hot rice ganji, served in a cherattai...lip smacker!! Words cant say!!
 
Sadly, all those paddy fields have gone and became real estate, there by making us bit more richer. But, will that money get back my longing taste for 'Chutta Katthirikai kootu" ? I asked Mom if she could try it.. She said 'Donno'...Dad once made it at home when we were young, alas, he passed away soon after retirement. Since there are no paddy fields,the harvesters and their next gen. has changed their profession and moved away to different places.
And my guitar, gently weeps!! it's a lost cuisine!! A Requiem for 'Chutta Katthirikai kootu'.


Request: Would request members to share their foody experience with "Katthirikkai'..Any new Brinjal recipe?
 
Last edited:
sapr,

here, i thought i will listen to the beatles, 'my guitar weeps gently', in honour of this post.

but going through the lyrics it did not seem appropriate.

i thought of 'kalyaNa samayal saadham' from maya bazaar. but that sounded positively upbeat.

no matter what, even when the tongue drools, the good books have condemned gluttony.

so, in your honour, a borrowed verse from the web, modified to suit your mood...

THE GLUTTON'S LAMENT

I have overindulged
I am bloated
It's true
I have eaten too much chutta kathrikkai
My poor GI!
I knew
I would eat my own weight
In fine kathrikkai
Onion too
When working in the field
Over a week
Or two.

Thank You.

apologies for a poor verse :)
 
I have overindulged
I am bloated
It's true
I have eaten too much chutta kathrikkai
My poor GI!
I knew
I would eat my own weight
In fine kathrikkai
:)

Shri.Kunjuppu,

After writing this post, I spent some wild-eyed moments with my wife narrating about the nostalgic taste of 'Chutta Katthirikai'..Thought she gonna make an instant Tandoori oven..

Smart girl.. She quickly dialled +91-XX-3988 3988. I over heard..., 'Welcome to Pizza Hut, how may I help you!!"...

I think the poor soul at the receiving end had a tough time for not having 'Chutta Katthrikkai topping' in his menu card.
 
Last edited:
sapr,

i think it is best that the memory of chutta kathrikkai remains warm and fragrant in your memory.

to recreate it after all these years may result in the disappointment of the reality not living upto our remembrance.

also, in another vein, perhaps you missed some of the key ingredient that made it so special, though i cannot fathom what it might have been.

i can only relate this to a tale that my father often told me whenver i complained that the home chutney made by my mom never tasted as good as the one's in the udipi hotel....

thank you.
 
good recipe

dear kunjuppu

nice recipe and mouth watering one. this is made in north india also.

keep writing about our traditional dishes.

regards

naveen

For almost 2 decades,in vain, my tongue lingers on to try this savouring brinjal kootu (a kind of chutney) used by the paddy harvesters.

When we were in primary school, the paddy harvesting day is the most enjoyable day, since we get one day break from night studies/tution and homework. Brothers and sisters will be assigned each, one paddy field, and our job is to keep a count on the number of paddy stacks getting shipped to the yard. Simply, a Police man job to ensure that the harvestor don't steal them in the middle of transit. And the best thing enjoyed out was, dining with them, in a traditional village style.And the way the harvesters make their lunch in the paddy field is something a lost culture in this cellphone/tetrapack era.

An instant aduppu(stove) made out of a small newly dug 1ft' deep pit with 3 corner stones and over it a huge 50 Lts clay pot. Fire wood picked from the nearby mango trees or coconut 'mattai' was the LPG of that day. The water used is from the nearby fresh water oozing pond, I mean a kind of 'well', but not more than 3 ft deep.. Rice, green gram,small onion,vendhayam and many a different spices (dont remember them) added to it, and let it boil for an hour to make a Rice gangji..Once done, an inch of its top layer is filled with grated coconut and pot will be shifted from the Aduppu..

And in the middle, the youngest boy (trainee) of the harvestors, would be exclusively working on making this 'Chutta katthirikai Kootu'. Once the Ganji cooking is over, he puts some 10-20 brinjals deep in to the the firewood splinters of the aduppu. Wait till all the dip-dup sound ends and scoop the burnt brinjals out of fire, and peel the burnt skins of that hot brinjal with bare hand ..You need some skill here, to work without gloves!!. Parallely, he get burnt the red-chillies in the same fire (not for soonyam & Spell).. One need to move 10 ft away, cos we cant stand that burnt-chilly smell emnating from stove. Next, he stuffs 2 handfull of Chinna venkayam (button onions) in to the same firewood, wait for 5 minutes and then scoop them out.. This burnt onion smell is really aromatic.. And next on the fire is 'Mr.Garlic"..Yeh, burnt garlic generates a bit of puking sensation. Then he get burnt 2 unbroken coconuts (with the water inside).. Bursting of the coconut in fire, and spilling of coconut water is an interesting scene to watch..Innovatively, it works as a fire extinguisher, as his mission of fire wood cooking is almost over.

Then he climbs the nearby mango tree, and plucks 2 green mangoes. Next, is grating the coconut.. I enjoyed eating those coconut grates, inspite of their admonishment, that, eating raw coconut grates will incubate tape/round worms in stomach and may die of bloating stomach!! What an innovative way to fear kids from munching coconut!!. He goes and takes a small handy granite stone, and cleans well in running steam of water. Puts one brinjal in each cherattai (coconut shell), a pinch of salt, and few pinches of spices, possibly Jeeraaham,kadugu,Vendhayam (dont remember these spicy formula),3 chutta small onion, strip of green mango, may be 3 lobes of tarmarind, 2 pc burnt red chilli, and fill up to the brim of cherattai bowl with burnt grated coconut. And with that stone, smashes them for about 10 minutes until they become a paste, to a light green-reddish colour.. Still that aroma echoes in my mind..

Oh my!!! This kootu along with the steaming hot rice ganji, served in a cherattai...lip smacker!! Words cant say!!
 
Sadly, all those paddy fields have gone and became real estate, there by making us bit more richer. But, will that money get back my longing taste for 'Chutta Katthirikai kootu" ? I asked Mom if she could try it.. She said 'Donno'...Dad once made it at home when we were young, alas, he passed away soon after retirement. Since there are no paddy fields,the harvesters and their next gen. has changed their profession and moved away to different places.
And my guitar, gently weeps!! it's a lost cuisine!! A Requiem for 'Chutta Katthirikai kootu'.


Request: Would request members to share their foody experience with "Katthirikkai'..Any new Brinjal recipe?
 
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