The famous 'kozhikkotta' story

Once upon a time there lived an Appooppan and an Ammoomma in a village. They were so old that they were always quarrelling with each other like children. One day a distant relative invited them for his daughter's marriage. As they had chickens and cattle to look after Appooppan decided to go alone. Ammoomma was left alone with the chickens and cattle. Appooppan reached the mandapam where the marriage was taking place. Everything went well. During sadya they served Kozhikkotta. Appooppan was tasting kozhikkotta for the first time and he loved it.

Before going back he asked someone, "Mone, what is the name of that big round dish?".

"Oh! Appooppa, that is called kozhikkotta. You don't have that in your place?"

"Illa mone. We don't have that. I have to go now. It was a really good sadya."

Appooppan said good bye to all and started his journey back. On the way back he kept repeating the name of the dish to himself so that he wouldn't forget it before he reached home. He wanted to ask Ammoomma to make kozhikkotta for him. While trying to concentrate on repeating the name Appooppan failed to notice a huge pit and fell inside it. By the time he got out of the pit he had forgotten the dish’s name. He tried hard but couldn't recall anything. By evening he reached home and Ammoomma was sitting in the courtyard waiting for him.

"Hey manushya, where were you all this time?" Ammoomma was in a bad mood.

Appooppan didn't like his wife's question. "Di kizhavi, don't try to boss over me, ha."

Ammoomma went into the kitchen muttering so that Appooppan would not start over again. She put a pot filled with water on the aduppu. As she was busy making tea for Appooppan she did not see him entering the kitchen.

“Edi, I want you to make me ‘that thing’ which they served during the sadya.” Appooppan told Ammoomma as he entered the kitchen.

Ammoomma was stirring the boiling water after putting tea leaves. She turned towards Appooppan after taking the pot off the stove. “What did you say, manushya? I didn’t hear you”, she said.

“I said I want you to make that thing which they served during the sadya”. Appooppan stood savouring the taste of the big round dish in his memory.

Meanwhile Ammoomma remained clueless as to what he was saying. She looked at Appooppan and said, “I will, if you tell me the name of the dish”.

“It’s that big round thing. It’s so delicious. Make it fast, will you?” Appooppan was losing his patience.

“What? Doesn’t it have a name? There are so many big round things. Which one do you want? Ente manushya, tell me its name”. Now Ammoomma also started losing her patience.

“Didn’t I tell you? It’s that thing which I ate at the marriage”.

“How can I know what you ate there?” Ammoomma had already stood up from her kitchen stool and was walking towards the back yard when Appooppan stopped her.

“Are you going to make it or not?” He yelled.

“I said I will, if you tell me its name”. Ammoomma’s voice sounded irritated. She didn’t get much time to think before Appooppan’s hand fell on her back with a ‘ddhappe’ sound; then a few more ddhappes. Ammoomma was crying loudly. She started cursing Appooppan.

“Ayyo, ente manushya... why are you beating me? You have changed my back into a kozhikkotta. Ayyooooo…” Ammoomma was crying. Appooppan suddenly stopped beating her. He smiled a little.

“Aaa..athu thanne. That is what I was talking about. Kozhikkotta. Edi kizhavi, make me some kozhikkotta”.

Ammoomma’s eyes were swollen with tears and anger. “Edo manushya,” (tears refused to fall down her cheeks) “why did you have to beat me like that for a kozhikkotta?” Saying this Ammoomma turned towards the kitchen shelf in search of flour to make Appooppan his ‘kozhikkootta’. Later that night Appooppan sang his heart out after eating all the seven kozhikkoottas that Ammoomma made for him and happily died a peaceful death. Ammoomma went on living a new life with no more ‘edi kizhavi’ calls and no more ‘kozhikkoottas’. People often said that they saw Ammoomma singing the latest folk song near the big tamarind tree on the hilltop.