The crowd couldn’t stop raving about the sweet kozhukattais . Then there were round, savoury ones too, with plenty of channa dal and mustard seeds in each bite. The Arts took centre-stage at the Chennai Kalai Theru Vizha’s cultural programmes at Korukkupet recently, but the food stalls put up by the locals, added to the flavour.
There was sundal , murukku , Burmese fare such as atho and bejo , masala eggs (boiled eggs slit and stuffed with fried onions and spices), apart from tea. S Suganthi, from Arunodaya, an NGO that works with people in the locality, says that the stalls were put up by women from the various self-help groups that it helped form.
Thirty-one-year-old N Prema had brought murukku that she made at home. N Arabia, a home-chef, whipped up atho and bejo at her stall. T Gomathi’s kozhukattais were a sell out. The self-employed single mother works hard to take care of her two sons and daughter.
While the guests from various parts of the city, tried out the various food items, they went back making new friends as well as learning something new. What they thought were sweet and savoury kozhukattai, for instance, was known as inippu and uppu urundai in the area.
