Koli Kitchen (Thal Part I)

Welcome to the series on Thal :)

When I started this blog I never took it so seriously that I would be writting about my roots in such depths I guess its this media doing the trick. Yet it is just happening and I am surprised by it myself.

My Grand Aunt's Kitchen

This is the Ist post of a series on Thal where I will be sharing with you pictures and try to tell you more stories.

First of all meet my maternal Grand Aunt/ Aaji. She is my Mom's Mami. She is the one who brought up my Mom. Notice her earings and the elongated earlobes. The blouse she wears is called Choli. The piping on the Choli tells that she was married and the absence of the bindi tells my Grand Uncle is no more. When young she was very stunning and vivacious and who said she isn't yet. Ask her age and she will say may be 60 yrs. but I guess she must be 80 + yrs.


In the second week of Nov 06 when I was in Mumbai for my Uncle M I had the chance of visiting my Grand Aunt/ Aaji. I took some pictures. It was a bit akward don't know why. May be because I had taken everything there for granted. May be because Thal was going to be exposed to the world. May be I still wanted it to stay protected as a secret place. Just may be I am not able to understand why?

I read about the kitchen theme started by Ilva Beretta on Anita's also enjoyed reading Asha's post on her home too. Since the Kitchen I call mine is in Mumbai fully functional and waiting for my returns from Blr and I did not have pictures available here thought it to be a good idea to share with you my Aaji's Kitchen.

Though this house was built around 20 years ago it is old style like Aaji wanted. Our own home in Thal is modern though it was built even before Aaji's so you get to see typically Koli style kitchen in her home.

Aaji picking rice for today's meal on the Oti /porch. This is the entrance to her home.

Koli tools of the trade and the most important Kitchen tool, Kaathi. Its like a sickle but the outer edge is the sharp one and the wooden cutting board called Phala.

Here she is grinding the masala for today's curries on the stone grinder the flat stone is the Paata and the pestle is called Ghuna. Look at the amount of garlic she is using.

Here is her wealth her shiny brass, steel and copper water pots. There was a time when water was filled from the village well now she has a tap in the patio yet she keeps the pots filled just in case the drinking water disappears. Notice the thick rope pot placer holders below the pots. On the bottom left you will see 2 oil lamps which she need not use now but she has kept them just incase. The grey box on the left corner shelve is her Koli masala box. On the right bottom you see the tea jar and sugar jar.

Since she lives alone these are her limited tumblers, plates/ Taate and some cooking pots/ Taup.

Also check out Aaji's backyard open kitchen on Chavlachi Roti that I have updated today.

In the next part I shall write about the fare she made for us with help from my cousins.