‘PAPPADAM’-MAKER

Rangan Shenoi was a Konkini ‘Pappadam,’ cakemaker residing near Kalathil Devi temple.  ‘Pappadam’ is a round, thin, crisp cake made of kidney beans flour mixed with ‘Pappada-karam,’ Potass and common salt. It is kneaded with a wooden roller on a millstone. ‘Pappadam’ is deeply fried in ghee or coconut oil. This crispy cake is a very special savory for an Onam or marriage ‘Sadhya’, feast.

When Rangan Shenoi, the ‘Pappadam’-maker died, there was no one in his family to carry on the business at Kumbalam. Hassan Urancode came from Matavana and started a new business near SPS temple at Kumbalam. He was orphaned by the premature death of his parents Mohammed and Kadeeja and was looked after by his uncle Moosa Urancode. While he was a child he used to help a ‘Pappadachetty,’ a person belonging to the caste of ‘Pappadam,’ cakemakers at Matavana and so he mastered the business. He is making a reasonably good income from his business. What started as a one man show is now a unit where he has two to three people working for him. The demand has made him rise to the need. He has even bought a pappadam maker, a machine which would enable him to produce much more quantity. 

Excerpts from

MEMOIRS

An autobiography

by

Joseph J. Thayamkeril

Lawyer, Kochi, Kerala, India.

josephjthayamkeril.blogspot.com