Chakka varattiyathu

Today Shari, my cousin wrote on Facebook about her first attempt to make Chakka varattiyathu and it took me back many years to the flavours and mouth watering palaharams our elder generations made.

Malathi valliamma was an expert in cooking. Her Palaharams were famous among the family. She made Boli, Chakka varattiyathu and Ila Ada in a way no one else in the family could make. It was her Kaipunniam in making all that she touched, delicious. Whoever goes to her house would get a taste of her culinary expertise and would go back home with something packed for their kids.

For many years Valliamma and Valliachan lived in Ettumanoor, and we children spent many holidays with her. Valliachan was very religious and followed all Hindu rituals and taught them to us through stories and keerthanams. He wrote many songs or keerthanams.

Malathi Valliamma spent most of her time in kitchen. The bharanis were always full with Chakka Varuthathu, Varattiyathu, Upperi, Sharkara varatti, Avaloose podi, chammanthi podi, murukku, and what not……She could make everything..If we were lucky, we would land there when Ada and Boli were made. As that cannot be stored long, only the lucky ones got their hands on them.

My mother too made use of all chakka and mango available in the house and would keep them stored and wait for her children to visit from other states. Kumari valliamm's speciality was the laddus made of rice, jaggery and coconut, what we call 'Mavunda'. It would just melt in the mouth.

The last time I visited she gave us those freshly made laddus. Me & children ate them all, little knowing that it was her last, and she would leave us forever after 2 days.....The soft spoken, loving Kumari valliamma who loved us all as her own children is still fresh in our memories....Now Amma, Valliamma, chitta and all others are all gone . Bharathi chitta was the last to go and her daughter Sharadakutty is trying to keep the tradition of chakka varatti alive..If Chitta succeeded in making the mouth water with the smell of Chakka varattiyathu, Shari published it in Facebook to make some mouths water….Anyway I’ll try the taste of her 5 hour long Bhageeratha Prayathnam and give a comment on that family special dish…..Till then............

Pooja room

There was no pooja room in the kizhakkedathu tharavad. A big Nilavilakku was kept in front of the door that opened to Nilavara where rice was stored. There was a long verandah starting from the thalam, which extended up to the next section of the house where the kitchen was. There were a few pictures of God above the Nilavara door. It was too high, or I was too small, that I can’t remember the faces of Gods in those photos. But what I remember clearly is the hand marks on the Nilavara door. Ammoomma’s hands dipped in wet rice flour and stamped on the door would last till the next year when the door is cleaned to put the marks again. We children too would stamp our hand marks which were seen at the foot of the door.

A bunch of new paddy sheaves [kathir katta] fresh from the field hung on top of the door. It was fixed there with cowdung. I think it is the day of Illam Nira, the Birthday of the rice grain celebrated. One whole and healthy grain is selected, bathed and adorned like a girl. It needed much expertise to bathe, put kajal and bindi on the small grain. After the make up, a thread from a new cloth is bound on it like a clothing. Then the women will say “Illam nira, vallam nira “ and put the grain into the Nilavara praying that Nilavara is always filled and we have food for the whole year.

A sadya would be prepared on that day. It is Makam nakshatram and the Birthday of “Nellu” [Rice] Kerala’s food grain. Whatever be the beliefs behind these rituals, the members of the family have always progressed and live in prosperity.

As one of the ladies light the evening lamp, [Nilavilakku], all children would be ready sitting in a line for Naamajapam.

Rama Rama Rama Rama Rama Rama Pahimam

Rama Padam Cherene Mukunda Nama Pahimam

This was recited at the top of our voice repeatedly for a long time. Gopala chettan, our Karanavar sitting at the far end Poomukham should hear our sound. Otherwise he would appear at the door. He need not have to say anything, but our sound would rise automatically on seeing him.

Elder ladies, knew a lot of prayers, and they would be reciting in a lower voice. As years passed, we children too learned a series of prayers starting from Ganesh stuti. Every Hindu God was remembered on evenings with short prayers . Though as children we didn’t know why we did that, and what was meant in those mantras, that became a way of life for us. Even after 50 or more years I follow the tradition of chanting those set of prayers every day without any fail.

Reading Bhagavatham and Ramayanam was done in a regular basis, but the Sahasranaamams or other mantras were not recited by anyone. It seemed to be the duty of women and children to chant and pray, while the men only listened. Fasting or Upavas was observed by most women members, and we children too got involved, though children didn’t have strict rules. Later on we followed what our elders did, without questioning them.

Paru amma

Paruamma was our servant ever since I can remember. I think she might have been Ammoomma’s best friend….they were always fighting.. The only person with whom ammoomma could shout and show her frustrations was Paruamma. There was a whole lot of responsibilities on ammoomma’s shoulder. I have seen men helpers also in the house, but Paruamma was the only one who was allowed all over the house. Only Paruamma other than the family members were allowed to enter the kitchen.

Though kitchen was not the cleanest place of the house, untouchability was strictly observed. Men servants could draw water from the well from outside the kitchen while women could do it from a place called ‘kotta thalam” adjacent to the kitchen.

Paruamma used to sleep on a mat on the floor outside the kitchen. Ammoomma would get up very early, before the first rays of the sun appear, slowly get out of the thalam without making any sound. She would make sure that all the women and children sleeping on the floor in a line are covered properly and step into the verandah followed by me. Every day she would ask me not to get up so early, but I somehow wanted to be with her always.

Then she would look at the picture of God on the wall, utter a prayer and walk towards the kitchen. Only when she repeats the same words everyday Paru amma would wake up. Ammoomma would say, “Paru it’s already afternoon, get up…”Her day starts grumbling. Ammoomma would enter the kitchen taking care not to touch her. I too would follow and sit on the wooden box [Aripetti] used to store rice. The bulb in the kitchen gave a dull yellow light and nothing was clearly seen.

I knew what was to happen next. There was a wooden box with a sliding lid where salt was stored. Ammoomma’s next task is to shoo away the cockroaches from the box. She would never kill a cockroach, or even an ant or spider. Every morning she would shout at Paruamma for not closing the box. I could hear Paruamma answering back in illegible words as she would be cleaning her teeth with ‘umikkari’ [the burnt residue of rice husk].

Paruamma would then draw water from the well, pour some on herself, change clothes and enter the kitchen. By that time Ammoomma would have started lighting the firewood for the day’s cooking. She would keep her hands on the fire and worship fire for a second. Ammoomma goes out of the kitchen and Paruamma enters. I don’t think she did any cooking, she only helped. Cooking was easy as the menu was almost the same everyday.

Paruamma and Ammoomma shouted at each other throughout the day. They never exchanged anything in normal tone. But both of them were very good to all other members. Gowrivalliamma used to say Janaki & Paru are ‘munnal’ [one having birth nakshatra the third from the other one] that is why they disliked each other.

But now when I think of those days, Paruamma & ammoomma had a fondness for each other. They were very much dependent on each other. This was obvious on the days Paruamma went to her home. She was very poor and her large family lived on what they got from this house. She would be given a large basket of rice and coconuts and other things to take home. One of her sons would come to carry it. I think Ammoomma did this secretly without the permission of the elder men of the house. Ammoomma was very lavish in helping her though both of them would not admit that. It was a strange relationship. Ammoomma knew she couldn’t go on without Paru’s help and Paru knew her family would starve without ammoomma’s help.

She used to call all children in the family ‘kunnje’ meaning baby…. She would give me a bath some times shampooing my hair with ‘chembarathi thali’. She would pluck fresh hibiscus leaves mash them on the washing stone with her hands and make a thick green extract and clean my hair.

Paruamma and ammoomma, both helped Gowrivalliamma as she couldn’t see properly. I used to watch while they helped her with the bath. If someone gave birth to a child, then Paruamma as well as ammoomma had no rest atall.

Paruamma was short and stout and might have been ammoomma’s age. I think she left the house before partition. Her children might have grown up and started earning by then. It has been several decades now, all in her generation and the next too have left the world.

Kumari Valliamma was married to Kallikatt Narayanan Nair. Most of the time Valliamma stayed at Valliachan’s house at Arpookara. She was very quiet and calm. The way they shared their secrets and gossips I feel my mother and valliamma were the best of friends.

Malathi valliamma, Kumari valliamma and Amma spend the afternoons together when they stayed at Kizhakkedathu. Bharathi chitta was mostly at Chittappans house and she might have missed all the fun. But chitta was their pet sister being the youngest. If Aniyammavan joined the gossip sessions, it was more fun. They were all a bit afraid of Sankarankutty ammavan. So if he was present no one dared to laugh.

Kumari Valliamma was short and slim and was prettier than others. Sadly she didn’t live long to look old. Anyone who knew her, admired all her qualities. She never got angry. She was very patient and had a smile for everyone. I don’t see anyone in the family who has her qualities, though some of us have that secret wish to be mentioned as, “so good as Kumari”.

Their younger days were spent in the joint family with all their cousins under Ammoomma’s supervision. They were all so broad minded and considered everyone equal. We the next generation too got the taste of that togetherness for some time. But things changed after the partition and all moved away separately.