Arul Purivai Karunai Kizhange

There are certain dishes that she never forgets to make every season. They are Karunai kizhangu masiyal, seepangizhangu roast, Keerai Masiyal, and karamura vazhaikai. There are stories behind for each of these dishes.

Karunai Kizhangu Masiyal is my dad's favourite. Unfortunaltely my mom never makes it, since she carries an allergy for it. I have naturally developed good taste for all the food that my father likes. So, its a ritual every year to make this dish. Later on after we moved to Chennai, our pushpa athai shares the masiyal whenever she makes.

Seppangizhangu masiyal and Karamura Vazhaikai (tiny cubes of fried vazhaikai seasoned with salt and chilly powder) are the most difficult ones to make, because they condense in size when fried. It was difficult for our parents to be patient and make these in the hurry burry lives of Metropolice. So, she would supplement the extra love and care that we missed from our parents. The seppangizhangu and the vazhaikai cubes would be in uniform sizes and shapes and color.... She would make sure that they were not over roasted also.

But it was a very difficult task to fry these vegetables for a group of 15 adults and 7 kids, especially when she had kids around who would ever ask for more. I think she managed to make them just for the gentlemen and the kids and must have made some other quick/easy vegetable for the poor ladies of the family. When we were kids, we never bothered what they ate.  Our jobs were done when our stomachs were full.

Everyday our Raju thatha would buy Mulai keerai. He was very conscious in serving the grand kids the most tasty and healthy food that he could ever get. He used to say 'Chidambaram Keerai than Pachu pachunnu irukkum'. The keerai masiyal that she would make on the karungal kachatti is the heaven. The taste is still on my tounge. On Ekadhasi, Dwadhashi days we have had the luxury of eating Aathi Keerai, Nelli mulli Pachadai, Sundaikai, Morkuzhambu etc...

I like morkuzhambu even more than the Vethakuzhambu.... On my craving days of preganancy, I make Morkuzhambu with Pushanikkai and Sundaikkai quite often. My cousin Jayashree used to say 'Morkuzhambukku romba Mariyathai kudukkarthu Nee than'. I think its because of her, I have started to develop taste for these authentic Iyengar foods.