THAMBUTTU

THAMBUTTU

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Thambuttu is a very popular dessert prepared during the Puthari (festival of harvest) of Kodagu region in Coorg, Karnataka. This sweet based delicacy is made of ripe bananas, roasted parboiled rice flour and fenugreek powder served with accompaniments of grated coconut, roasted sesame seed and ghee. People from Kodagu celebrate few important Hindu festivals such as shivaratri, ugadi, sankramana and shashti. In addition, they have their own festivals like Kailapoadu, Cauvery sankramana and Huttari (Puthari). These three festivals are normally celebrated by people all over Kodagu (Coorg). Puthari is a festival of harvest and is the most popular festival of Kodagu (Coorg). This will be performed on full moon day every year in the month of November/December generally. Meaning of the word 'Puthari' is new rice. The festival symbolizes the solemn beginning of the use of new rice from freshly conducted harvest season for offering in the temple. As a tradition, Thambuttu and Payasam (pudding made with rice and milk) is prepared with new rice for offering to the Lord on the auspicious occasion. On the Puthari or Puttari day the whole family assembles in the common family house decorated with flowers, green mango and banana leaves. Specific foods are prepared ("thambuttu puttari mean kari (fish kari) poli poli (chant)") thambuttu is a dish prepared with rice floor and bananas. Then the eldest member of the family hands a sickle to the head of the family, and one of the women leads a procession to the paddy fields, with a lit lamp in her hands. The path leading to the field is decorated. A gunshot is fired to mark the beginning of the harvest, with chanting of "Poli Poli Deva" (prosperity) by all the people present there. Then the symbolic harvesting of the crop starts. The paddy is cut and stacked and tied in odd numbers, and is then carried home, to be offered to the gods there. The younger people then burst crackers and revel, symbolizing prosperity. Group of youngsters then visit the adjoining houses and show their dancing skills, and earn monetary gifts. A week later, these monetary gifts are all pooled and a community dinner of the entire village) is celebrated. All the family members would gather for the dinner. Dinner would normally consist of meat dishes such as pork and fish curry. Alcoholic drinks are also served. Thambuttu and Koovale Puttu are the only distinctive Coorg sweets. On this Puthari day, symbolizing the harvest day of crops, a paste is made out of Thambuttu, Sesame, thorn of the Bitter gourd, coconut, milk and honey and is wrapped in a Peepal leaves, and thrown to the roof top of the house, as offering to the deceased elders. Then all the food prepared for dinner is offered as ‘Meedhi’ ( A little quantity of all the items, prepared for dinner is put in a plate along with a glass of liquor and placed in front of a lit lamp, as offering to all the ancestors ) in their Gurukarana ( The tomb of the ancestors) and pooja rooms. To prepare the delicious Thambuttu (Coorg delicacy), in a mixing bowl mash the bananas well. Add little salt, cardamom powder and rice flour and mix well. Take individual serving bowls, and place the banana-rice paste equally in the bowls making a depression in the center. Put the grated coconut, fried til (sesame seeds). Over it in the middle add 2 tbsp of ghee and serve immediately. There are also other traditional ways of making the Thambuttu. Firstly the Thambuttu powder is prepared by sprinkling little water on the rice. Roast the till (sesame seeds) on a tava until it turns dark brown and crisp, roast the fenugreek. Add cardamom powder and salt to taste along with this and mix and make into very fine powder. Store it in an airtight container. To make the Thambuttu, peel and mash the bananas. Add sugar and honey to thambuttu powder and knead into fairly thick but soft dough. Serve in individual bowl, making a depression in the center. Pour ghee with a sprinkle of roasted seasoning and grated coconut. Do try this recipe and enjoy the different flavors and taste of Coorg dishes. Click on the link for detailed recipe: https://www.vahrehvah.com/Thambuttu:940