S
sapr333
Guest
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?
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: