Every year during Aadi, southern states experience mixed weather. While some experience showers, others record warm or humid weather conditions.
This year, Chennai experienced a combination of humidity and occasional drizzles. Under the sweltering heat, outside the temples and households, a pot of koozhu welcomed the season and with it, the age-old traditions, too. This staple drink harbours a story of climate change, culture, and wisdom passed down through generations.
“I have been preparing koozhu for 27 years. I picked this practice from my mom, who inherited it from her mom,” shares Kalai Vani, adding that the process of preparing and distributing the drink is an act of rejoicing. She recalls the story behind the practice. “The common belief is that there was once a sage who was on a penance. He and his children were killed by evil forces. The mourning wife and mother, set her mind to die and lit a fire from which she sustained injuries,” narrates the housewife. The woman with her burn marks covered in neem leaves started walking towards a village in search of food. “There, she was served with millet and ragi — prime ingredients of koozhu. After that, with a bright light appeared lord Shiva and advised everyone to make this koozhu every year. The reason, in the mythological story, is to cool down the burn marks of the sage’s wife.” But there was also a belief that during this month, people could get chicken pox and small pox.
There is a popular Tamil saying, Aadi kaathu la ammiyum nagarum which roughly translates to ‘even the heavy batan moves in the winds of Aadi month’. “During this month, there is a change in climate and people are prone to diseases. To build immunity and improve gut health, koozhu is consumed. It was made a part of the religion to inform people that it is good to consume the drink,” adds Hemamalini AJ, professor and head, Department of Clinical Nutrition, Sri Ramachandra Institute of Health & Research.
Preparation of koozhu involves fermentation and the prime ingredients used are broken rice, known as noiyee in Tamil, or uncooked rice, and ragi flour.
Kalai breaks the procedure in steps. She explains, “Two days before the event, ragi is cleaned, ground, and soaked in water for fermentation. The next day, in the evening, rice is cooked and is mixed with the fermented ragi. On the third day — when it is offered to god and then consumed by friends, or family members — curd and onions are mixed.”
Served with chopped onions and curry leaves, koozhu often comes as accompaniments with veg an non-veg options. On the vegetarian plate is the koozhu, mochakottai (broad beans) kuzhambu made with broad beans, brinjal, drumstick, and other vegetables. “This kuzhambu is included to remind the generations that it [broad beans] is an important part of the diet,” says Hemamalini. Drumstick leaves and thandu keerai poriyal are also common, while the non-vegetarian version is paired with karuvaadu kuzhambu.
The main dish on each of these platters is koozh, which primarily involves fermentation. “Our Indian cuisine, is synonyms with health benefits. When our ancestors started making and consuming it, there was no scientific proof; it was more of a knowledge gained through generations.”
The nutritional profile of koozhu and its accompaniments is rich, says the professor. She points out that ragi is a coolant; and it serves as a prebiotic, and facilitates the multiplication of healthy probiotics while reducing the unhealthy ones, improving gut health. It is high in fibre. Broad beans offer protein, folic acid, multiple B-complex vitamins, selenium for antioxidant support, and zinc for immunity. Thandu keerai has flavonoids, folic acid, anthocyanin, vitamin A, and dietary fibre. Onions bring vitamin E, anti-inflammatory benefits, and immune-supporting compounds. Fish reduces inflammation, provides omega-3 fatty acids, and strengthens both the heart and bones.
This rich staple makes Aadi celebrations as much about food as it is about community. While in villages, this drink is prepared from scratch, in cities, Kalai hopes that people atleast go to the shops to have it.
On pavements near bus stops, railway stations and under the shade of trees, Chennaiites can find koozhu stalls available throughout the year; this also changes the notion that koozhu is solely religious. But Hemamalini says, “It is good that people are selling this but it should be consumed cautiously, maybe once in a fortnight. If not, individuals can miss out on other nutrients needed for the body.”
Whether viewed through the lens of nutrition, climate adaptation, or folklore, koozhu remains rooted in the idea of nourishment and it’s purpose has always been to keep the body and mind in balance.