October 22, 2015.

1. A greenish-brown, kallu chatti (stone pot) sat silent with a yellow metal uruli and other wastes on the top shelf of the kitchen. Waste has a place at home. A few days ahead of Durga Puja (me cannot call it Dassera, having timed in Calcutta), one put in a oral plea to Rama: why not use the kallu chatti for little onion sambhar. Like babus she said No. Me pleas continued; a conditional nod, 'if I have the time.' Kallu chatti (kachchatti) clinked; breathed. Then the file was signed by Rama,'Okay'. Like babus, did not offer details. 'Your mother gave it to me, brought it from Calcutta in a 3-tier Gitanjali Express. Kallu chatti is heavy weight. Has a name: Kuttappan. It clicked. Mother used to make sambhar and avial in it. She would place it on a mud chulha, aduppu, fired by charcoal and cow-dung cakes (gutiya); there was more smoke than fire; it took time; the sambhar and avial had a distinct taste or maybe just a culinary imagination. Mother could have only bought it from Kottarakara, as she never went anywhere in her life. Perhaps, me age or near about 70. Her mother, Ananthalakshmi, had many chattis in her kitchen. Mami (Vijayalakshmi, Rama's mother) fleshed out superb appais of avial and sambhar in kallu chattis. That lady was the Durga of Tamil Brahmin cuisine; others are minor deities. Then kallu chatti retired to shelves; aluminium, Hindalium, copper-bottomed stainless steel followed; Nirali, Prestige, Nirlep brands; kallu chatti unstained by brands; do not know the birth place or the artist of Kuttappan. Today, me downloaded Kuttappan from his perch. Gave him a bath, placed a zendu inside, offered aarathi... helped Rama to unpeel small (Madras) onions, a tiring job, did it. And then to Durga shloka chanting, Rama placed Kuttappan on the gas, poured  water, started on making sambhar; the babu got to work. Rama was afraid the stone would crack under gas fire; nothing of that happened. Seemingly, the sambhar aroma was making its way to Vidya in Valsarvakkam, Chennai. She called; making sambhar, she guessed as Rama made sambhar everyday for son Ganesh; Rama detailed; Rama whatsapped Kuttappan; Vidya has promised to buy a couple of kalu chattis, brothers and sisters for Kuttappan, makings of a family, a shift to oldness. Kallu chatti sambhar is ready. Vegetables lie cleaned and chopped on the table for avial. Paruppu wada is in the making. Ma Durga has blessed me for sure.