It is a treat to watch Retnamma R shape small portions of dough, each the size of a tennis ball, into perfect circles. A traditional pappadam maker in Thiruvananthapuram, she has been on her feet since 5 am. The 63-year-old runs a pappadam unit with her husband, V Gopalakrishnan, at their home at Valiyasala. “I picked up the skill from my in-laws after I got married 50 years ago. Usually, I make 700-800 pappadams every day, but during Onam it can go up to 1,000 or even more,” says Retnamma, taking a break from her work.
Recently, the pappadam was in the news, albeit for the wrong reasons, when a brawl broke out over pappadams at a wedding reception in Kerala and the video of the skirmish went viral. Crisp, hot pappadams, all puffed up, are a must for any sadya. It is THE accompaniment for the first serving of the parippu-ghee combo and, of course, the payasams.
