Balambal paatti's kai murukku.

nilaa · Nov 25, 2008

The Maldivian sky was pouring to its heart's content. Watching the rain is real fun. The Banyan tree in front of my house, stood like a an exuberant young girl with her long hair let loose and spreading her hands widely and looking up at the sky with joy. Yes the branches do look like hands and the copper wire like falling roots definitely reminds you of a lady's long hair. I only wished i had a couple of murukku to go with that apple chai.

Murukku brings back fond memories of childhood. Balambal paatti, my maternal grandmother would announce about the preparation of murukku a day before. It is more like a celebration. Preferably on a Saturday she would wash the rice and dry under fan kaattu in a dhothi, By the time we children, come back from our half-a-day's school, the house would be wafted by the smell of roasting urad dhall . After a hurried lunch the mission of going to the machine/mill will start. Holding my paavadai(full skirt) with one hand , to prevent me from falling, i hold the steel "thooku" on the other hand, followed by my little brother, and my two little cousin brothers. The three of them hop and jump around and follow me to the machine which was in the next street.

The machine/rice mill was a place of amusement for all of us. Eagerly looking at the big switches with bigger handles on the wall. A funnel like machine and big belt which is changed from one machine to another when chilly has to be ground. It looked strange for us every time we visited that place. Whispering among ourselves about the powders on the machine owner's head and the amount of current bill he would be paying!! We march back home the same way as we went.

There.. at home , a pump stove and an almost a century old iron wok would be placed in the verandah. With paati sitting in Jaanusirsaasana pose.(Sitting posture with one leg extended and one leg bent) along with all the Paraphernalia. A big vessel to mix the dough, a small dish with water where a blob of butter would be gleefully floating,(the water prevents the butter from melting} a rocksolid piece of asafoetida dunked in water in a tiny vessel, the butter and the asafoetida water were to be mixed to the dough and white sheet of cloth spread to make the murukkus.

Paati would start the preparation by mixing a small portion of the dough and she would make a small pyramid like pillayaar(Ganesh) and smear it with haldi and vermillion , with all excitement we go to the Swami shelf to place the Pillayaar and do numerous Namaskarams at such an odd hour! Ofcourse to pray that the Murukku making session would be sucess!

(Ladies am i boring? i shall continue if you people like it... o.k. )
warm regards,
Nilaa

iyerviji · Nov 25, 2008

Dear Nilaa

First of all your name is so cute. You must be also looking like a
Nilaa I think. And it reminds me of the poem Nilaa Nilaa Odi va.

Your write up is superb and you have described everything so
well. It brings me my childhood memories when my patti used
to make kai murukku. She was an expert in that. I can imagine
you with pavadai holding it up and with thooku in one hand.
That reminds me we used to take idli with milagapodi on it in
a thooku to school. There were no tiffin boxes those days.

You have described so well about the machine and minutely
the preaperation of murukku.

Continue the preparation of murukku eagerly waiting to read.

with love and blessings
viji

Chitvish · Nov 25, 2008

Dear Nilaa,
Please, please continue - I love the way you are writing the details "graphically". Patti's janushirasasana pose is hilarious! What did you all do, sitting around her?? You are making me too nostalgic. Please write.
Eppadi murukku suthuva??
Love,
Chithra.

aishu22 · Nov 25, 2008

Dear Nila,
Excellent piece of writing dear .Your style is superb.I'm just imagining how your patti will sit?? haa haa...Big Laugh

Please continue soon....

Anandchitra · Nov 25, 2008

Nilaa dear
long time no see

Please do continue.. with just your title you made me miss my grandmother - patti as I called her. My father's mother

She was an expert at doing kai murukku (atleast for me she was
And used to follow same procedure as you have described

She also used to set me up in a corner with some ittle maavu and a sheet and by the time I managed to finsih one she would finish just too many..

Thanks dear for this beautiful blog taking me down memory lane

eagerly waiting for you to write more:bowdown

Padmasrinivas · Nov 25, 2008

Hi Nilaa,

Very nice graphic description of getting ready to Murukku-suthify and eagerly waiting for the next episode. Reminds me of the time when the Bhakshanams were being made for my wedding and the backyard was full of stoves and different 'maavu's and a big audience watching the mandatory Kai-Murukku being made as per my Grandmom's specifications - number of suthus, size etc etc..

Lovely post, keep writing,

Padma

sundarusha · Nov 25, 2008

Dear Nila

I loed the way you have compared the roots of the banyan tree to the long tresses of a lady and the branches to her arms.-- I used to feel the same way about the branches of the neem tree resembling the arms of a person.
I loved your description of the details. Please continue.

vaidehi · Nov 25, 2008

Dear Nilaa,

Wow.... ur writing is so intresting as if i was in my Paati's house, All the pics came running in front of my eyes, Pls Continue... Loved ur writing and Eager to read further.

Prem.S · Nov 25, 2008

Hi Nila,

Enjoyed your style of narration. It takes me to my childhood where i also carried a thooku to the mill but i was wearing a frock :biggrin2:

Pls continue, we are eagerly waiting.

Regards,
Prems

lalithavennkat · Nov 25, 2008

Dear Nila,

Nice writting. Your naration takes me to my earlier days,
me to going to mill for grinding and getting everything
ready for making Kai murukku and athirasams for the
marriages Atleast half a dozen pattis will be there to
help one. Instead the stove you mentioned, my patti used
to do in the Kottai Aaduppu.

The description of your patti sitting position is very nice.
Awaiting for your continuation. Please do write.