THENGA PINDI (RESIDUAL OF COCONUT) Dear friends,
With the availability of coconut powder and coconut milk, residue ofcoconut at home has become rare. On those days after preparing coconut milk forpayasam, heaps of thengapindi could be seen in the work area of homes and feastareas. Now we can see in TV serials and films occasionally scrapingcoconut and preparing coconut milk. Now if the coconut is scraped using wet grinder attachmentor mixer attachment or separate coconut grinder, it is used for dishes. Let mecontinue with Thenga Pindi. Sincerely, Gopala Krishnan 18-4-2021. 1 Difference betweenpindies Thenga pindi(residual of coconut) is not like vazha pindi (stem of plantain) or chena pindi(Stem of yam) used to prepare dishes. It is the residue obtained after completely squeezing milk fromcoconut flour. This is mostly mixed in Kati (Water obtained bycleaning rice) or Kanji (Water obtained from draining the prepared rice) andgiven to cows. It was a common arrangement to keep the thengapindi outside in abasket without throwing out during feasts. Small quantities from homes wereadded in Kati and kept in pots. Those having cows used to collect from otherhomes in the villages. Nowsmall quantities are put to waste box. 2 Adding thengapindito dishes After coconut milk is squeezedonly 25-30% from flour, it was common to add the remaining flour in thoran on those days bycooks in the feasts. The coconut milk is added in Olan and for preparingidichhu pizhinja payasam or Prathaman. Such coconut milk is called Onnampal (First milk) or Thalappal and the remaining was consideredstill as flour. Coconut flour isdelicious to eat in small quantities. 3 Coconut scrapping Normally the preparation of the coconut flavour was done byvariar community in the feasts of Brahmin and royal families. How this practicecame in to vogue is not known. They are very efficient in preparing coconutflour scrapping coconuts and grinding in grinding stones for preparing coconutmilk. It was a practice variar would take some coconut flour either onscrapping or after taking Onnam pal. Now coconut milk is available in packs from super markets,manufactured by nestle etc. (added with preservatives). Such Coconut milk isstored in the refrigerators in homes. 4 interesting storyof complimenting coconut Kerala observed 60th birth day after formingstates on Linguistic basis in 2016. Iwas listening to a programme Karyamnissaram in Kairali TV. There was a STATEMENT INSTEAD OF SHASTI POORTHY BETTER ISSHASHTA POORTHI. On the story village officer Mohana Krishnan expecting ahuge innovative parcel from foreign friend received a parcel with two coconuts telling- Kerala isthe land of coconut trees. Though today Kerala get coconuts fromnearby states, it is apt to compliment coconut. There was a wishing also to himto grow coconut trees to bring the old Kerala- Land of coconut trees. 5 Phala Danathampoolam. Phaladana thampoolam includes a coconut of good size alongwith betal, aracanut, kumkum and sandal and CASH. Phala Dana thampoolam shouldbe accepted and taken fully. 6 Sweet and savouriteusing scrapped coconut A sweet preparation using coconut flour is coconut burfeeand I like to eat burfee. Thenga poti ismade by adding salt and chillipowder to fried coconut scrapped. It is anexcellent side dish with rice and curd 7 Chenapindi andVazhapindi At one time chena pindi was used to prepare thoran. It is stemof yam, cut to small pieces after skin removed Vazhapindi is stem of plantain. It is also cut to smallpieces and thoran is prepared. Many iyers like Vazhapindi thoran. Some prepare juicefrom vazhapindi. It is told vazhapindi is best to avoid kidney stones. The threadsprepared from Vazhapindi (plantain stems) are used to light NIlavilakku. It isconsidered auspicious. 8 Aana pindi There is one more Pindi- Aanapindi. It is the relieving ofelephants with fibre. On those days some farmers used to dry it and use it asmanure after drying. Something similar to cowdung. Now in Assam a Paper manufacturing plant has beenestablished to make paper from the relieving of elephants and rhinos. A recent Malayalam film was there, a person makingsampranithiri (incence stick) using dried aanapindi. 9 Other usages There is a usage- “Pota Pindi” meaning you are insignificant andwaste. I have read somewhere Pindi is also a measurement quantity. Writer- R. GopalaKrishnan dated 08-11-2016. Reposted after editing and updating on 18-4-2021. -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "Thatha_Patty" group. To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an email to thatha_patty+unsubscr...@googlegroups.com. To view this discussion on the web visit https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/thatha_patty/1075496493.2329834.1618729427286%40mail.yahoo.com.
