1st day of Ramadan 1437 – June 6th, 2016
In every Malabar household, Pathiri is the staple diet for Ramadan. Not making pathiri for Ramadan is like having an incomplete ifthar!
Pathiri making is a laborious, technique sensitive process. The first part is making the dough. Boil hot water and slowly add in the rice powder to the boiling water and make sure all the powder is wet. First mix with the wooden spatula. Flame off after 10 seconds. While the dough is warm still, knead it with hand well in one single roll. Make small rolls with dough and then flatten each roll with a rolling pin or a pathiri press.
Well, let’s say. I failed in the first step itself. The entire powder was not wet and the dough was not sticky enough. I went onto my Plan B – make idiyappam/noolputtu (yet another Keralite delicacy)
Funnily enough, my grandfather’s words sprang into my head “Pallu undakunethu mathram padichal pore, pathiri undakunnethum padikkanam” (Learning how to make teeth alone is not enough!You have to learn to make pathiri too!) Oh Grandpa! How I wish I had listened to you and learnt from my pathiri expert grandma and ma!
It is nearly 4.5 years since my grandfather left for his eternal abode. Of all my grandparents, I miss him the most. He was the one who was there when I finished school/college and also when I was writing my first set of PG exams!
May Allah bless our departed loved ones with Jannah and may He reunite us all again in His eternal blissful gardens.
May Allah accept our fasts, our prayers, our deeds and our charity.
May this month be the beginning of a new level of spirituality within ourselves.
How was your first day of Ramadan?
