Pazhamkanji / Vella Choru /Pazhaya Saadam - the quintessential breakfast

The quiet of the very early morning (read 3:45am sharp) is broken by Subbulakshmi's 'Nityanandakari Varabhayakari' wafting from the Bhagavathi Temple loudspeakers, waking up half or more of the village, whether one liked it or not.  The vinyl records of devotional songs were played both in the morning and evening, every single day.  With such use, these vinyl records developed a number of telltale scratches that were also amplified and for those who had been listening to these for a long time (me included), the songs won't be complete without the aberrations from those scratches.  So, for most of us, the day started thus in the wee hours before dawn. 

Once up, the routine included drawing fresh water from the well, getting the fire going in the kitchen to heat bath water for the old lady (who had a perpetual low back pain which hurt me more than it did her) and churn the curds for butter and buttermilk.  It would still be dark when I run across half the village barefoot to fetch half a liter of fresh milk from someone who had a cow that was still lactating.  By the time I get home, mother would have already removed the first batch of decoction from the coffee filter and poured water for the second (weaker) batch.  The first batch was only for the head of the family, father.  Others got the second batch and, thankfully, it still smelled coffee.  The maid Chinnammu, who came in around 6.30, got the third batch, which was an apology for hot brown water.  But she never complained so long as there was a piece of jaggery to go with it. 

Traditionally, there was no concept of breakfast for us.  We had brunch mid morning, snacks/tiffin and coffee around 4pm and supper at night.  We ate our morning meal before we left for school.  The meal would be fresh and hot... most of it.  Most of the time, I got served the left over rice from the previous night.  We called it Pazhaya Saadam.   Mixed with curds or buttermilk and some Molagu Manga to go with it, or just with the hot kootan (gravy), it was extremely delicious.  Usually, it would have been earmarked for Chinnammu the maid.  But times were hard and mother knew when to make those tough decisions to reallocate. 

Our household too had electricity those days and the only things, other than the lights, that worked on electricity were a Philips radio (the one with valves) and a Usha table fan.  No electric blender, mixie, iron box, washing machine or a fridge.   We ate fresh organic food, everyday..  Stale food was taboo - it was 'thamas'.  The brahmin would not touch it.   Leftovers were cattle feed or given to the stray dog that laid waiting at the kitchen steps at night.  Cooked rice was an exception though.  Mother would pour water in the leftover rice and keep it in a corner in the pantry room (we called it the untouchable corner).  In the tropical night temperatures, the soaked cooked rice will ferment and transform into Pazhaya Saadam by morning.  Today, we keep the leftover rice in the fridge and will nuke it and eat it whenever and forever.   The Pazhaya Saadam was a natural by-product those days and needed no deliberation.   

You could see gas bubbles in the water and the rice would have a sour smell like, well, fermented.  Yes, it ferments overnight and in the process the starch in the rice produces lactic acid.  Many claim that the nutritional value of the fermented rice is multifold compared to regular cooked rice.   It is supposed to be a great source of Iron and vitamins, especially Vitamins B12 and B6.  It hydrated the body, lowered the blood pressure and made you look glowing and younger.  Growing up, we had the Pazhaya Saadam with curds and pickle for breakfast whenever there was left over rice the previous night.  It was a filling meal but also got digested faster and hence we got hungry again sooner.  

While it was just simply left over rice for us, the majority of the agrarian families in Kerala cooked extra rice deliberately for making Pazhamkanji (old kanji) or Vella Choru (rice in water).   The pazhamkanji was the staple breakfast, especially for those who did a lot of physical work in the fields.  Mix it with some salt and have it with raw pearl onions / shallots and hot green chillies.  Other side dishes are added based on availability and affordability. Normally, it is not offered to you when you walk into your friend's home in the morning. 

I believe it all started as just left over rice stored overnight suspended in water, in the absence of means for better storage like the fridge.   It was consumed at the earliest opportunity the next day (breakfast!) before it spoiled.  When the benefits of the fermented rice were realized, it turned into a staple breakfast item.  With the advent of the fridge in every household, and the prevailing culture of eating food out of the fridge, the pazhamkanji or pazhaya saadam does not happen naturally anymore.  However, some feel that pazhamkanji is a traditional breakfast and are trying to revive it thus.  There are a few 'Hotels' that offer this for breakfast, but you won't find them in many upscale restaurants.  You really don't want to eat rice that is fermented by somebody else.  I certainly would not eat Pazhamkanji from these 'Hotels' since I would not even know what water was used.  While I may agree on the health benefits of this quintessential Pazhamkanji, I am a stickler to hygiene.  I suspect if Pazhamkanji has any cultural or traditional significance.  It was more of a necessity forced on a people who could not afford to waste the left over cooked rice.  The advent and availability of the fridge has wiped off this so-called tradition.  If not for the fridge, most of us would be still having pazhamkanji for breakfast.

I have eaten a lot of Pazhamkanji or Pazhaya Saadam in my young days and had loved it.  It kept me full, happy and healthy.   The many who had it as traditional breakfast before starting a hard day of labor thrived on it.  It was a great source of energy and sustenance, giving credence to the saying 'annamayam prANamayam' (loosely translated - rice sustains life).  Simplicity did not require an effort those days; it was a way of life. The only way of life, especially when there were no choices.  Pazhamkanji was a part of that life.  Fermented rice was not unique to Kerala and was popular in many parts of the country and the world, under different names.  The Odia version is called Pakhala and March 20 is declared Pakhala Dibasa (Universal Pakhala Day) by Odias worldwide. 

Today, Pazhaya Saadam is a distant memory for me and is unknown to most of the younger generation.  While we can still make regular rice kanji, the Pazhamkanji has no place in our daily menu.   I am tempted to try it during this summer.  If you have fond memories of this food, try it out sometime.  Maybe, for old times sake, we should ditch the fridge and pour water on the leftover rice this summer!  One should not be seeking pazhamkanji anywhere else other than in one's own kitchen.

Do look up the benefits of pazhamkanji in the internet.  Here is one link that I found interesting - http://www.turmeriq.com/2013/02/05/fermented-rice-a-storehouse-of-goodness/

(This note is based on my childhood experiences.  Pazhamkanji, I am sure, has a lot of history that is unknown to me.  Please feel free to enhance this post with comments from your own experiences.)

Pazhamkanji preparation:

Cook red rice (palakkadan matta rice) or any other available parboiled rice in the evening.  Once it cools down, pour water on it till the rice is submerged.  Cover and leave it in room temperature (75 degrees F) overnight.  By morning it would have fermented.  (Traditionally, the rice is fermented in an earthern/mud pot.  I would suggest use of pot made of a non-corrosive material like porcelain, food grade plastic, pure stainless steel or non-stick.)

Drain the rice and have it for breakfast with curds and pickle (uppu manga / mulagu manga are the best) or just raw onion /shallots and green chillies or a chammanthi (chutney with coconut).  The water is also nutritious.  Add a pinch of salt and drink it.  Helps keep your body hydrated too!