Out of the frying pan and into the fire. The proverb felt real as I stepped into the kitchen at Palayam Juma Masjid from the blistering afternoon heat outside. As firewood burnt brightly beneath three huge aluminium pots, I struggled to stand in the smoke-filled room. But not Mohammed Arif, who is busy stirring each vessel with a huge ladle. The spicy porridge for the devotees, to break their fast, is getting ready. “Today, we have used 52 kilograms rice. It goes up to 60 kilograms on certain days,” says Arif, 30.
On another day, I meet 47-year-old Jafar Sadik at the expansive kitchen of Manacaud Valiyapally Muslim Jama’ath, cooking the dish in five huge vessels on firewood. He is a picture of calm despite being drenched in sweat and his eyes watering. “Nearly 100 kilograms rice is needed everyday and it can even go up to 150 kilograms,” says Jafar.
Jafar Sadik at work at the kitchen at Manacaud Valiyapally Muslim Jama’ath
| Photo Credit:
SREEJITH R KUMAR
Arif and Jafar are among the scores of proficient hands hired by mosques to cook the spicy porridge during Ramzan. Nombu kanji is also called oushada kanji or medicinal gruel as different herbs and spices are used in its making. It is prepared in huge quantities for the devotees to break the fast and is also distributed from takeaway counters at the mosques. People from other faiths also collect it from these counters, says Saifudeen Haji, president, Vallakkadavu Muslim Jama’ath.
These cooks take a 30-day break from their regular jobs, mostly as caterers, during the season and work with a team of assistants. Some see it as carrying forward a legacy. “I learnt it from my maternal grandfather, Mohammed Haneefa, who cooked the kanji at this mosque for over three decades. I used to accompany him as a young boy. When he passed away, my cousin took charge. Since he got busy with his business, I took over the responsibility a couple of years ago,” says Arif, who has a three-member team, including his brother, Al Ameen.
Jafar comes from a family that has been preparing the kanji for several decades. “I have been in this for over two decades and have worked at various mosques in the city, the last one being Juma Masjid, Chala. Six members of my family are currently working in various mosques,” says Jafar.
Maheen Kannu (sitting) and his team who prepare nombu kanji at Puthenpally Muslim Jama’ath
| Photo Credit:
Athira M
Then there are the likes of Maheen Kannu, 63, who has been with the same mosque, Puthenpally Muslim Jama’ath, Poonthura, for 27 years. Meanwhile, Abdul Majeed, employed at Vallakkadavu Muslim Jama’ath, and Mohammed Sudheer, who work at Juma Masjid, Chala, have risen from the ranks of assistants to the head chef.
“I used to accompany my master, who passed away 16 years ago. Then I assisted another person before becoming independent,” says Majeed. Sudheer, 42, adds, “I must have been 10 or so when I got the hang of it while assisting my master at Attakulangara mosque. When he fell ill, I went solo and since then I have been making kanji at various mosques.”
It is a team of three to six people who carry out various tasks, usually from 7am onwards. Depending on turnout, 60 to 150 kilograms rice is needed for the kanji. “We usually cook 150 kilograms daily and it goes up on certain days,” says Maheen A, general secretary of Puthenpally Jama’ath.
According to Sulaiman Haji, chairman, Manacaud Valiyapalli Muslim Jama’ath, “Around 1,200 people have kanji here daily, and at least 500 of them collect it as takeaway. During Attukal Pongala, we prepared extra kanji on two days for the devotees.”
The method of preparation differs from one cook to the other. Rice (raw rice used specifically for kanji) is cooked with shallots, onion, Thondan chilli (banana pepper) and vegetables such as beans, carrot, tomato, and pineapple. Some add cabbage and cauliflower, too. A paste of coconut with ground dried ginger (chukku), cumin, and whole spices are added to cooked rice. Herbs – coriander, pudina, pandan leaves — go into the mix, which is finally sauteed and garnished with ghee. Then it is left on dum for a few hours.
“We usually don’t leave it on dum to avoid the kanji from sticking to the bottom. It is cooked in six vessels here and by the time we adjust the thickness one more vessel is usually needed,” says Maheen Kannu.
Jafar states that theirs is a biriyani kanji, since it has all the ingredients that go into a biriyani and they don’t add chukku, which is commonly used by other cooks. Sudheer points out that they add biriyani rice also as it makes the porridge thick. “Unlike other places, we don’ use cauliflower and cabbage since many devotees don’t prefer that,” he says.
While the parcels are collected before the evening prayer begins, the rest have the kanji in bowls on the mosque’s premises once they break the fast.
Although vegetarian kanji is generally served in most mosques, there are exceptions like Manacaud Valiyapalli where irachi [mutton] kanji is provided on Fridays and Sundays, and the Puthenpally mosque where mutton or chicken kanji is prepared if there is a sponsor.
Abdul Majeed with his assistant stirring nombu kanji at Vallakkadavu mosque
| Photo Credit:
Sreejith R Kumar
These cooks also prepare side dishes such as stir-fried tapioca or green gram. Whereas, besides the vegetarian sides, Puthenpally mosque serves chicken or beef thoran on certain days, so too Chala mosque. “The side dish is for those who have kanji at the mosque and not for takeaway,” says Majeed, who cooks over 100 kilograms of rice daily.
The task is cut out for these cooks as they work in extreme heat, especially now when firewood has replaced LPG, that too when they are fasting. “It is difficult to work when it is this hot. I take a break as and when the kanji is put on dum. We are used to it though,” says Arif.
Jafar Sadik at the kitchen at Manacaud Valiyapally Muslim Jama’ath
| Photo Credit:
Athira M
Some mosques keep the same team to prepare athazham or suhoor, the pre-dawn meal. Most of the mosques serve it during the last 10 days of the festival. “Preparations start by midnight. We prepare ghee rice, mutton curry and dalcha, a dish made with mutton, green gram dal, vegetables such as lady’s finger, brinjal, cucumber, potato, and drumstick, a blend of spices, and tamarind. The meal is served by 4.30am,” says Jafar. Also, on the 27th day of the fast, which is a special day for the devotees, the mosque serves mutton biriyani to 3500 people.
Mohammed Sudheer adding spices to the kanji at Juma Masjid Chala
| Photo Credit:
Athira M
Sudheer says they cook rice and a vegetarian or non-vegetarian side dish for athazham. “A special is the tamarind-based puli curry, which has pomegranate, mango, cucumber, green chilli, chilli powder etc. It is like a pickle, which we prepare enough to last 30 days,” says Sudheer, who has a five-member team.
The Palayam mosque has a separate team to cook the pre-dawn meal, which they provide on all days. “We have a specific menu for each day, like rice and vegetarian curries, rice and fish curry, or mutton curry or dal, fried rice, ghee rice etc,” says J Harif, general secretary of the Jama’ath.
The office bearers of the mosques say that total expense is met through donations, sponsorships, and funds allocated by the mosque. The cost per day starts from ₹30,000 and goes up to one lakh.
“Serving kanji to people from all religions and different walks of life is a fulfilling exercise for us. We ensure that the kanji does not go to waste. Leftover porridge is packed in food-grade covers for anyone to take home,” say Sulaiman Haji and Harif.
