Why kambankoozh remains Tamil Nadu’s favourite summer quencher

At Pandiyan Brothers’ kambankoozh stall that is under a mammoth copperpod tree, the summer heat is actually bearable. It is peak noon in April as I step away from the sweltering heat at Tatabad to join a clutch of people that mills about a pushcart near Power House. N Rajapandiyan is ladling thick, grey kambankoozh into tall glasses, adding chilled curd and a smattering of chopped onions to each glass. Eager customers are quick to grab them and walk to a cosy corner nearby where another cart filled with sacks of colourful fryums awaits. The creamy koozh, punctuated by onions, its nutty flavour enhanced by the sourness of the curd, is pure bliss.

Kambankoozh carts are a common sight across the city. Now that summer is here, this fermented pearl millet porridge is a preferred choice for many who spend long hours in the sun. “Traditionally, people from Tamil Nadu primarily ate koozh and kanji,” says Chennai-based M Seethalakshmi, a food researcher who focusses on traditional and forgotten recipes. “Our diet consisted of neer aagaram, food served in watery consistency. The vegetables our ancestors preferred too were those with a lot of water content in them,” she adds: “The first thing people had once they woke up in the morning was neechu thanni, water from soaking cooked rice the previous night.”